To say Grey's Anatomy fans were shocked by the recent death of Patrick Dempsey's character Dr. Derek Shepherd is an understatement. But they weren't the only ones caught unawares. In an interview with ABC News on Thursday, May 14, series star James Pickens Jr. (Dr. Richard Webber) said Derek's death came as something of a surprise to the cast, too.
"We didn't know a whole lot. It was kind of on the fly," the actor, 60, shared. "So whatever information we got, we pretty much got it kind of right before it happened."
Like the fans, Pickens was sad to see his longtime costar go. Both were original cast members, having started together way back in the show's debut season in 2005.
"Obviously, Grey's wouldn't have been Grey's without him. He was such an integral part of that," Pickens told ABC News of Dempsey, whose on-screen alter ego was killed off on the April 23 episode, amid rumors that he had clashed with Grey's creator Shonda Rhimes.
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"He's a very talented guy," the X-Files alum added. "His character has become iconic. I mean, it's part of the lexicon of TV."
Beyond that, Dempsey was part of the Grey's "family," Pickens said. "We spend as much time — if not more — with th[ose] folks than we do with our actual families. So you better learn how to get along," he said. "But I think everybody has a great respect for one another's talent and what they bring to this process and, obviously, that makes Grey's such a phenomenal hit after all these seasons."
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