Grey’s Anatomy star Samantha Sloyan shares shocking new detail about Derek Shepard’s tragic ending
Grey’s Anatomy star Samantha Sloyan has opened up about a shocking new detail about Derek Shepard’s tragic ending.
Now, any fans of the hit ABC medical drama will no doubt know about the heartbreak fans felt after Derek 'McDreamy' Shepherd, played by Patrick Dempsey, died in Season 11, Episode 21.
The episode, titled 'How to Save a Life', originally aired back in April 2015, but despite happening over a decade ago, it's clear the impact of McDreamy's death has had a lasting impact on both fans and fellow co-stars alike.
For anyone who needs their memory refreshed, Derek was driving when he came across a serious car accident and stopped to help the victims, successfully saving several people before getting back into his own car.
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As he pulled away, he became distracted by his phone and was hit by a truck.
He was subsequently taken to a small local hospital, where the doctors failed to recognise the severity of his brain injuries and didn't perform the necessary scans and surgery quickly enough.
Ironically, world-renowned neurosurgeon Derek was aware that the doctors were making critical mistakes, but he was unable to communicate effectively enough to save himself.
Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo, eventually arrived at the hospital and realised that Derek’s injuries were fatal, leading her to make the heartbreaking decision to remove him from life support, and Derek later died with Meredith by his side.
His death marked Dempsey’s departure from the show after 11 seasons and became one of the most shocking and emotional moments in Grey’s Anatomy.
Sloyan plays Dr Penelope 'Penny' Blake, the surgical resident treating Derek after his car accident.
In the dramatic episode, Penny was actually the doctor who recognised that Derek needed a head CT, but the attending surgeon, Dr Paul Castello, dismissed her concerns and prioritised Derek’s other injuries.
Reflecting on the episode to Metro Entertainment ahead of the season 23 premiere later this month (15 October), Sloyan shared: "It was such an important episode that when I auditioned, there were what they called 'dummy sides'.
"The names aren't correct, like the story isn't correct. So going in, I didn't even know where I was gonna be."
The actress continued to reveal that she didn't even know the fate of Dempsey's character until they were already shooting.
"At the end of that episode, I didn't know that we were gonna lose his character until we were already shooting," Sloyan added.
"When that happened, I really was like, 'Oh my God'. I had friends and family friends who were really, really big fans, and I just knew they were gonna be so upset."
Topics: Grey's Anatomy, TV And Film, Celebrity
Rhiannon Ingle