There have been some really heartbreaking and stunning deaths on Gray’s Anatomy, whose twenty first season is at present airing on the 2025 TV schedule. George O’Malley and his “007” reveal is one that stands proud, in addition to Derek Shepherd, in fact (though I nonetheless suppose the McDreamy demise episode was horrible). Nevertheless, there’s one other character followers simply can’t recover from — Denny Duquette — and it seems Katherine Heigl and Jeffrey Dean Morgan tried to save lots of him.
Denny Duquette made such an impression on Gray’s Anatomy followers that I’d go as far as to say it’s one in every of Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s greatest roles. Not even Shonda Rhimes may have predicted how upset followers would nonetheless be over that Season 2 storyline, and it’s not simply us. Morgan reunited with Katherine Heigl to speak about their time collectively on Gray’s, they usually revealed they’d truly requested Rhimes to let Denny dwell. Take a look at a portion of their viral TikTok chat with EW:
@entertainment_weekly
♬ authentic sound – Leisure Weekly
It is well-known that Katherine Heigl and Shonda Rhimes butted heads at occasions on the Gray’s set. Nevertheless, Heigl felt strongly sufficient about this that she and Jeffrey Dean Morgan approached the showrunner in an try to get her to tweak the Denny storyline. Heigl stated:
We had been in there like, ‘This is what we’re pondering. We’re pondering…’ We tried. And she or he was identical to, ‘I hear you. And it breaks my coronary heart too, however he is gotta die.’
I assume you don’t get to be as profitable as Shonda Rhimes in the event you cater to each actor’s request, like Katherine Heigl bargaining that they might nonetheless convey Denny “near demise.” Jeffrey Dean Morgan added that Rhimes was set in her methods, even when he tried to purchase his character one other season.
When the day got here to movie that heartbreaking scene for “Shedding My Faith” — one in every of Gray’s Anatomy’s greatest episodes — Jeffrey Dean Morgan stated he refused to go to set. He recalled:
However the day that I needed to die, I did not come out of my trailer. I would not come out of my trailer. I believe they lastly despatched Katie and Katie was like, ‘Jesus Christ, Jeff, I’ve to cry all day. You are simply laying there.’ Carrying her promenade gown. I am like, ‘All proper.’
I can’t think about how tough that day was for Katherine Heigl, particularly figuring out the darkish locations Heigl took herself in an effort to present Izzie’s grief for Denny. The 2 actors concerned aren’t the one ones nonetheless traumatized, although. Followers spoke out within the feedback, writing:
- Denny and Izzie was the top recreation sorry – sunflower_2046
- Them going to Shonda and asking for Denny to not die is so Izzie and Denny coded although. – jacketpotato24601
- TBH Denny dying damage worse than Derek 😭 – brittanychapman153
- Nobody wished Denny to die… however Owen Hunt remains to be round!! – nic.marq
- Nobody will recover from Denny Duquette’s demise 😭😭😭 – klshhhhhhhhhh
- Denny was the worst demise. I’ll die on this hill – _arianaharrington
Jeffrey Dean Morgan has stated that enjoying Denny modified his life, because it received him seen and led to different huge roles, and I like that the actor who could also be extra well-known as of late for his roles on Supernatural, The Strolling Lifeless or The Boys, appears to have a mushy spot in his coronary heart for Gray’s Anatomy.
The Denny and Izzie love story is with out questions probably the greatest beginning factors for a Gray’s Anatomy rewatch, with the primary 20 seasons of the medical drama being among the many greatest reveals to binge on Netflix proper now. In the meantime, all 21 seasons are additionally obtainable to stream with a Hulu subscription, as new episodes of Gray’s Anatomy proceed at 10 p.m. ET Thursdays on ABC.