George O'Malley
Encyclopedia
George O'Malley was a fictional
surgeon
from the ABC
television series Grey's Anatomy
, portrayed by actor T. R. Knight
. Knight appeared as George from the beginning of the show until its fifth season finale. Knight will not be returning to the show and has been released from his contract. He was nominated for the Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series award at the 2007 Emmy Awards for his performance in the role.
(Ellen Pompeo
), Cristina Yang
(Sandra Oh
), Izzie Stevens
(Katherine Heigl
) and Alex Karev
(Justin Chambers
). George and Izzie move in with Meredith, who he has romantic feelings for, and become best friends. On the first day of his internship, George is selected by cardiothoracic
consultant
Preston Burke
(Isaiah Washington
) as the first intern to perform surgery. He freezes in theatre, and is mocked by his peers. He further earns the nickname "007" because during his internship several of his first patients die. George dates nurse Olivia Harper, breaking up with her when he contracts syphilis
from her, which she in turn contracted from Alex. His relationship with Alex is further strained when the two become trapped in an elevator with a patient who begins to bleed out. Alex freezes, and George is able to save the patient single-handedly. He goes on to admit his feelings to Meredith, and the two have a one-night-stand. When Meredith tells him that sleeping together was a mistake, George begins avoiding her and starts dating orthopedic surgeon Callie Torres
(Sara Ramirez
).
During a camping trip, George learns that Callie has slept with plastic surgeon
Mark Sloan
(Eric Dane
), and also discovers that Burke is experiencing tremors in his hands. When George's father is diagnosed with esophageal cancer
and a leaking aortic valve
, he refuses to allow Burke to operate on him, instead contacting Erica Hahn
(Brooke Smith
), Burke's medical school rival. His relationship with Callie is strained when he confronts her about sleeping with Sloan, but he allows her to support him through his father's deteriorating health. Complications from his father's surgery leave him in multi-system organ failure
, and his life support is turned off. In an attempt to overcome his grief, George elope
s with Callie to Las Vegas
. He later begins to feel that he was mistaken to marry her, and sleeps with Izzie while intoxicated. Izzie confesses that she is in love with him. George considers transferring to a different hospital, but learns he has failed his intern exams.
George decides to repeat his intern year, and confesses to Callie that he slept with Izzie, leading the two to separate. George and Izzie embark on a short-lived relationship, only to discover there is no real chemistry between them. George moves in with new intern Lexie Grey
(Chyler Leigh
), Meredith's younger half-sister. Lexie and George discover that he only failed his exam by a single point, and received 14 outstanding letters of recommendation. He confronts Richard Webber
, the chief of surgery, and is allowed to re-take his exam. He passes on the second attempt, and begins to distance himself from Lexie, who has fallen in love with him. George supports Izzie when she discovers she has cancer
, and walks her down the aisle when she marries Alex. He begins to display a talent for trauma surgery
, and decides to join the army. While his friends at the hospital prepare an intervention to convince George to stay and not take off to countries where he could die, they all work on a severely disfigured John Doe, brought in after a horrible bus accident, in which he apparently pushed a woman out of the way and saved her life. When Meredith goes to check on John Doe, he seems to recognize her and won't let go of her hand. After several times of trying, he succeeds in writing "007" on Meredith's hand, and shocked, she realizes John Doe is in fact George. She informs the other attendings and they rush him to surgery. However, he flatlines during the surgery and is ultimately declared braindead. His organs are donated after Izzie confirms that this is what George would've wanted, and he is buried a week later.
In later episodes, it is seen that some characters are having trouble moving on. Izzie wishes she would still have her brain tumor (which allowed her to see visions of her deceased fiancé Denny Duquette), so she could see George again, and Bailey distances herself from her co-workers, as she cannot cope with having so many of them dying around her.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
from the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television series Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
, portrayed by actor T. R. Knight
T. R. Knight
Theodore Raymond "T. R." Knight is an American actor. Knight's most high-profile role to date was his role as Dr. George O'Malley on ABC's medical drama Grey's Anatomy.-Early life:...
. Knight appeared as George from the beginning of the show until its fifth season finale. Knight will not be returning to the show and has been released from his contract. He was nominated for the Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series award at the 2007 Emmy Awards for his performance in the role.
Storylines
George appears from the first episode of Grey's Anatomy, meeting fellow interns Meredith GreyMeredith Grey
Meredith Grey is a fictional surgeon and the series protagonist on the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character is portrayed by actress Ellen Pompeo. In 2007, Pompeo was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Meredith...
(Ellen Pompeo
Ellen Pompeo
Ellen Kathleen Pompeo is an American actress, known for playing the title role of Meredith Grey on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy.-Early life:...
), Cristina Yang
Cristina Yang
Cristina Yang is a fictional surgeon on the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character is portrayed by actress Sandra Oh, who won a Golden Globe and a SAG Award in 2006 for the role...
(Sandra Oh
Sandra Oh
Sandra Oh is a Canadian actress. She is best known for the role of Dr. Cristina Yang on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, for which she has won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award. She also played notable roles in the feature films Under the Tuscan Sun and Sideways, and had a supporting role on the...
), Izzie Stevens
Izzie Stevens
Isobel 'Izzie' Katherine Stevens is a fictional character from the medical drama television series Grey's Anatomy, which airs on ABC in the United States. The character was created by series producer Shonda Rhimes, and was portrayed by actress Katherine Heigl from 2005 to 2010...
(Katherine Heigl
Katherine Heigl
Katherine Marie Heigl is an American actress and producer. She is possibly best known for her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens on ABC's Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2010, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Drama Series in 2007...
) and Alex Karev
Alex Karev
Alexander "Alex" Michael Karev, is a fictional surgeon on the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy, portrayed by actor Justin Chambers. The character was not included in the original pilot script, but was added in after the pilot was shot, meaning initial scenes with him were either reshoots or...
(Justin Chambers
Justin Chambers
Justin W. Chambers is an American actor and former Calvin Klein male fashion model. As of 2005, he is starring in the ABC drama series Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Alex Karev....
). George and Izzie move in with Meredith, who he has romantic feelings for, and become best friends. On the first day of his internship, George is selected by cardiothoracic
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Cardiothoracic surgery is the field of medicine involved in surgical treatment of diseases affecting organs inside the thorax —generally treatment of conditions of the heart and lungs .-Cardiac / Thoracic:...
consultant
Consultant (medicine)
In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth, consultant is the title of a senior doctor who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty...
Preston Burke
Preston Burke
Preston Xavier Burke, more commonly known as Burke, is a fictional surgeon on the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character was portrayed by actor Isaiah Washington, up until the third season.-Storylines:...
(Isaiah Washington
Isaiah Washington
Isaiah Washington IV is an American actor. A veteran of several Spike Lee films, Washington is best known for his role as Dr. Preston Burke on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2007.-Personal life:...
) as the first intern to perform surgery. He freezes in theatre, and is mocked by his peers. He further earns the nickname "007" because during his internship several of his first patients die. George dates nurse Olivia Harper, breaking up with her when he contracts syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
from her, which she in turn contracted from Alex. His relationship with Alex is further strained when the two become trapped in an elevator with a patient who begins to bleed out. Alex freezes, and George is able to save the patient single-handedly. He goes on to admit his feelings to Meredith, and the two have a one-night-stand. When Meredith tells him that sleeping together was a mistake, George begins avoiding her and starts dating orthopedic surgeon Callie Torres
Callie Torres
Calliope Iphegenia "Callie" Torres, M.D., is a fictional character from the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy, portrayed by actress Sara Ramírez...
(Sara Ramirez
Sara Ramírez
Sara Ramírez is a Mexican-American singer/songwriter and actress. She is known for her role as Callie Torres in Grey's Anatomy and as the original Lady of the Lake in the 2005 Broadway musical Spamalot, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.-Early life:Ramírez...
).
During a camping trip, George learns that Callie has slept with plastic surgeon
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
Mark Sloan
Mark Sloan (Grey's Anatomy)
Mark Sloan is a fictional surgeon from the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy, portrayed by Eric Dane.-Storylines:Mark first appears in season two, introduced as a highly-respected otolaryngologist sub-specialized in plastic surgery and the former best friend of neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd...
(Eric Dane
Eric Dane
Eric Dane is an American actor. After appearing in television roles throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he became known for playing Dr...
), and also discovers that Burke is experiencing tremors in his hands. When George's father is diagnosed with esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the esophagus. There are various subtypes, primarily squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma . Squamous cell cancer arises from the cells that line the upper part of the esophagus...
and a leaking aortic valve
Aortic valve
The aortic valve is one of the valves of the heart. It is normally tricuspid , although in 1% of the population it is found to be congenitally bicuspid . It lies between the left ventricle and the aorta....
, he refuses to allow Burke to operate on him, instead contacting Erica Hahn
Erica Hahn
Erica Hahn is a fictional character from the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy, portrayed by actress Brooke Smith. Hahn was a recurring character through the show's second and third seasons, and joined the main cast in the fourth season...
(Brooke Smith
Brooke Smith (actress)
Brooke Smith is an American actress. She is best known for her role on the TV show Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Erica Hahn and for her role as Catherine Martin in the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs.- Early life :...
), Burke's medical school rival. His relationship with Callie is strained when he confronts her about sleeping with Sloan, but he allows her to support him through his father's deteriorating health. Complications from his father's surgery leave him in multi-system organ failure
Organ failure
Organ dysfunction is a condition where an organ does not perform its expected function. Organ failure is organ dysfunction to such a degree that normal homeostasis cannot be maintained without external clinical intervention.It is not a diagnosis...
, and his life support is turned off. In an attempt to overcome his grief, George elope
Elope
To elope, most literally, merely means to run away with a girl and to not come back to the point of origination. More specifically, elopement is often used to refer to a marriage conducted in sudden and secretive fashion, usually involving hurried flight away from one's place of residence together...
s with Callie to Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. He later begins to feel that he was mistaken to marry her, and sleeps with Izzie while intoxicated. Izzie confesses that she is in love with him. George considers transferring to a different hospital, but learns he has failed his intern exams.
George decides to repeat his intern year, and confesses to Callie that he slept with Izzie, leading the two to separate. George and Izzie embark on a short-lived relationship, only to discover there is no real chemistry between them. George moves in with new intern Lexie Grey
Lexie Grey
Alexandra Caroline Grey, more commonly known as Lexie Grey, is a fictional surgeon from the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character is portrayed by Chyler Leigh, and was created by Shonda Rhimes. She was made an official series regular for season four...
(Chyler Leigh
Chyler Leigh
Chyler Leigh is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Dr. Lexie Grey on ABC's Grey's Anatomy. She also portrayed Janey Briggs in Not Another Teen Movie.-Early life:...
), Meredith's younger half-sister. Lexie and George discover that he only failed his exam by a single point, and received 14 outstanding letters of recommendation. He confronts Richard Webber
Richard Webber
Richard Webber is a fictional surgeon from the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character is portrayed by actor James Pickens, Jr., and was created by Shonda Rhimes...
, the chief of surgery, and is allowed to re-take his exam. He passes on the second attempt, and begins to distance himself from Lexie, who has fallen in love with him. George supports Izzie when she discovers she has cancer
Melanoma
Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye...
, and walks her down the aisle when she marries Alex. He begins to display a talent for trauma surgery
Trauma surgery
Trauma surgery is a surgical specialty involved in the invasive treatment of physical injuries, typically in an emergency setting. Trauma surgeons generally complete residency training in general surgery and often fellowship training in trauma or surgical critical care...
, and decides to join the army. While his friends at the hospital prepare an intervention to convince George to stay and not take off to countries where he could die, they all work on a severely disfigured John Doe, brought in after a horrible bus accident, in which he apparently pushed a woman out of the way and saved her life. When Meredith goes to check on John Doe, he seems to recognize her and won't let go of her hand. After several times of trying, he succeeds in writing "007" on Meredith's hand, and shocked, she realizes John Doe is in fact George. She informs the other attendings and they rush him to surgery. However, he flatlines during the surgery and is ultimately declared braindead. His organs are donated after Izzie confirms that this is what George would've wanted, and he is buried a week later.
In later episodes, it is seen that some characters are having trouble moving on. Izzie wishes she would still have her brain tumor (which allowed her to see visions of her deceased fiancé Denny Duquette), so she could see George again, and Bailey distances herself from her co-workers, as she cannot cope with having so many of them dying around her.
External links
- Grey's Anatomy at ABC.com