Chandra Wilson

Character: Dr Miranda Bailey

For her critically-acclaimed role of Dr Miranda Bailey on Grey's Anatomy, Chandra Wilson earned an Actor (Screen Actors Guild Award) for Best Actress in a Drama Series, an Actor for Best Drama Series Ensemble, a Peoples' Choice Award and three NAACP Image Awards. She is also a five-time Emmy nominee and a BET Award nominee.

This Houston, Texas native began performing in musicals at the age of five with Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS), where she appeared in more than ten of their major musical productions. At Houston's Ensemble Theatre she portrayed Li'l Bits in One Monkey Don't Stop No Show and, in the summer of 2005, received their Rising Star honour for her accomplishments. She graduated from Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and later went on to acquire her BFA in Drama from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. There she spent four years training at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute.

Wilson's greatest New York stage accomplishment thus far is her portrayal of Bonna Willis in the production of The Good Times are Killing Me, by Lynda Barry, both at the Second Stage and Minetta Lane Theatres, which won her a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance. In the Spring of 2004 she was selected by The New York Times as one of "8 to Watch, Onstage and Behind the Scenes." This honour came in conjunction with the Broadway opening of Caroline, or Change, in which she portrayed Dotty Moffett opposite the formidable Tonya Pinkins at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. She was also in the Broadway productions of Avenue Q and On the Town.

Wilson recently starred in Accidental Friendship for Universal Channel, in which she played a homeless woman who is befriended by a Los Angeles police officer. Other television credits include series regular Claudia Hopper on Bob Patterson, along with numerous guest appearances on The Sopranos, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Sex and the City, Third Watch, 100 Centre Street, Cosby and The Cosby Show.

Chyler Leigh

Character: Dr Lexie Grey

Chyler Leigh's television credits include David E Kelley's series The Practice and Girls Club, as well as in Reunion, That '80s Show, and Aaron Spelling's Safe Harbour. She appeared in the pilots Wilder Days, Lucky Us and Saving Graces and Rocky Point. Leigh also guest-starred on North Shore and in a powerful three-episode arc on the long-running series, 7th Heaven.

She made her feature film debut in the hit comedy spoof Not Another Teen Movie.

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina and raised in Virginia Beach and Miami Beach, Leigh and her husband, actor Nathan West, have three children and reside in Los Angeles.

Patrick Dempsey

Character: Derek Shepherd

Patrick Dempsey's portrayal of Dr Derek Shepherd has earned him a 2007 Screen Actors Guild Award and the 2007 and 2008 People's Choice Award. In addition he was nominated for the 2007 and 2006 Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama, and received a 2006 Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series.

Dempsey's movie career is keeping him just as busy. He was last seen on the big screen in the highly anticipated Transformers - The Dark of the Moon in July 2010. He recently completed production on the independent film Flypaper, directed by Rob Minkoff. He also is attached to star and produce the Universal feature The Art of Racing in the Rain, based on the New York Times bestseller. His most recent film credits include Valentine's Day, Maid of Honor, Enchanted and Freedom Writers.

On television Dempsey nabbed an Emmy nomination in 2001 for his portrayal of Aaron Brooks, Sela Ward's psychologically unbalanced brother, in the critically acclaimed Once and Again. In 2003 he made a memorable guest appearance on Will & Grace as Will's love interest, and in 2004 he co-starred in highly-acclaimed Iron Jawed Angels, opposite Hilary Swank and Anjelica Huston.

Additionally, Dempsey starred in the movie based on Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment opposite Ben Kingsley; appeared in the television miniseries 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, with Michael Caine; co-starred with Oliver Reed in the biblical epic, Jeremiah, and could also be seen in JFK: Reckless Youth, A Season in Purgatory, Blood Knot, The Right to Remain Silent, Shallow Grave and Blonde.

Ellen Pompeo

Character: Meredith Grey

Ellen Pompeo received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama at the 2007 Golden Globe Awards. Along with her fellow Grey's Anatomy cast members, she also received the 2007 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Television Drama.

A Boston native, Pompeo made her major studio film debut in Brad Silberling's Moonlight Mile, alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon. She went on to star opposite Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell in the wildly successful Old School, and in Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can, opposite Leonardo DiCaprio.

Prior to Moonlight Mile, Pompeo had starred in several independent features, including In the Weeds and Coming Soon.

Eric Dane

Character: Dr Mark Sloan

Eric Dane can be seen in Valentine's Day, alongside a star-studded cast that includes Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper and Jamie Foxx, and Burlesque, starring Christina Aguilera and Cher. He also co-starred in Marley and Me, opposite Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson.

Dane was raised in San Francisco, the older of two brothers whose father was an architect and interior designer and mother a homemaker. While excelling as an athlete in high school, he was bitten by the acting bug in a production of Arthur Miller's play, All My Sons. After moving to Los Angeles, Dane made his TV debut in 1993 on The Wonder Years, racking up guest roles on other series and recurring roles on Charmed, The American Embassy and, giving precedent to his current role, as a doctor on Gideon's Crossing. He has also appeared in several television films, including Serving in Silence, the remake of Helter Skelter and Wedding Wars.

On the big screen Dane's first major role came in 1999 in the World War I film, The Basket, and he was subsequently featured in the comedy Sol Goode. Other film credits include the tongue-in-cheek horror flick Feast and Open Water: Adrift.

James Pickens Jr

Character: Richard Webber

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, James Pickens Jr started acting at the Karamu House, distinguished as the oldest African-American theater in the United States. After moving to New York, he performed in the historic 1981 production of Charles Fullers' A Soldiers Play.

In 1990 Pickens moved to the West Coast and began an impressive run of film and television performances. On the big screen, he has been directed by some of the film industry's finest, including Steven Soderbergh in Traffic, Oliver Stone in Nixon and Warren Beatty in Bulworth and he appeared in four Barry Levinson films - Sleepers, Sphere, Jimmy Hollywood and Liberty Heights. He portrayed slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers in Ghosts of Mississippi (directed by Rob Reiner), and he played Angela Bassett's ex-husband in How Stella Got Her Groove Back.

Pickens is well known to television audiences for his recurring roles on hit series including NYPD Blue, The X-Files, The Practice, Philly, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Six Feet Under, The West Wing, Rosanne and Beverly Hills 90210.

Jesse Williams

Character: Dr Jackson Avery

Actor Jesse Williams was introduced to Grey's Anatomy viewers in 2009 and joined the cast as a regular for season seven.

In film, Williams next stars in Cabin in the Woods from producer Joss Whedon. He made his big-screen debut in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, playing Leo, the love interest to Alexis Bledel. Williams also starred in Brooklyn's Finest from award-winning director Antoine Fuqua, opposite Ethan Hawke, Richard Gere and Don Cheadle.

Past television credits include Greek and Law & Order.

On stage, Williams starred in award-winning playwright Edward Albee's The American Dreambox and The Sandbox at the Cherry Lane Theatre.

He currently divides his time between New York and Los Angeles.

Jessica Capshaw

Character: Arizona Robbins

Capshaw's past television credits include The Practice, The L Word and Bones. In 2005 she starred in the miniseries Into the West, with Keri Russell and Josh Brolin. She also starred on the big screen opposite Ed Burns and Brittany Murphy in The Groomsmen.

Capshaw earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature at Brown University, and also starred in many of the University's productions. She took advantage of her summer breaks by attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts Summer Program in London, where she starred as Puck in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Armed with an Ivy League education and insatiable ambition, Capshaw pursued her dream of becoming an actress.

She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Christopher Gavigan, and their two year-old son, Luke.

Kevin McKidd

Character: Dr Owen Hunt

Making his feature film debut in 1996 starring in Small Faces, followed by a starring role alongside Ewan McGregor in the film Trainspotting the same year, Scottish actor Kevin McKidd has established himself as a multi-talented star of film, television and theatre.

McKidd's film credits include co-starring in the romantic comedy, Made of Honor, opposite Patrick Dempsey and Michelle Monaghan, and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, alongside Rosario Dawson, Uma Thurman and Pierce Brosnan. McKidd also starred in Bunraku, starring alongside Josh Harnett, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson and Ron Perlman and he can be seen as a detective in thriller Catwalk.

In 2007, McKidd made his debut on American network television as the star of drama Journeyman. While unfortunately the show was short-lived, it helped to establish McKidd as a television household name. Prior to Journeyman, he starred in Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated historical drama, Rome.

Other film credits include Hannibal Rising; Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven; De-Lovely, with Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd; Sixteen Years of Alcohol - for which he was nominated for Best Actor at the British Independent Film Awards; Nicholas Nickleby and Max, with John Cusack.

Born and raised in Scotland, McKidd was a member of the Moray Youth Theatre. He became involved in the Bedlam Theatre Company while he was a student at the University of Edinburgh, and it was at here that he decided to pursue acting full-time, landing his first leading role in the Wild Cat Theatre Company-produced stage play, The Silver Darlings, for which he won the Gulliver Award.

Justin Chambers

Character: Dr Alex Karev

Justin Chambers was born and raised in Springfield, Ohio. Discovered on a subway in Paris, he began his career as a professional model working throughout Europe, Japan and the US with contracts at Calvin Klein and Armani, among others.

Setting his sights on acting, Chambers moved to New York and studied for four years at HB Studios and Ron Stetson Studios. His training garnered him several television roles, including Another World, New York Undercover, Rose Hill, with Jennifer Garner, and Four Corners with Ann-Margret.

Described as "part James Dean, part Marlon Brando" (Harper's Bazaar, 1998), Chambers got his big break when he was cast in his first feature film, Liberty Heights, directed by Barry Levinson. As a privileged but good-hearted troublemaker, he proved that he had the acting chops to hold his own opposite co-star Adrien Brody, and soon went on to play the lead role of D'Artagnan in action/adventure The Musketeer. Additionally, Chambers starred in the hit romantic comedy The Wedding Planner with Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey, the thriller The Zodiac, with Philip Baker Hall, and critically-acclaimed Hysterical Blindness in which he played Uma Thurman's love interest.

Chambers currently resides in LA with his wife and five children.

Kim Raver

Character: Dr Teddy Altman

On Grey's Anatomy Kim Raver plays Teddy Altman, an Iraq veteran who has a past with Dr Owen Hunt. Raver last starred as Nico Reilly on Lipstick Jungle from creator Candice Bushnell (Sex In The City).

Raver endeared herself to critics and viewers during the five years she starred as paramedic Kim Zambrano onThird Watch. Following that, she starred for two seasons on the Emmy Award-winning 24 as Audrey Raines. She had a regular role on the children's television seriesSesame Street, from the ages of 6 to 9. Other television credits include lead roles on The Nine and Trinity, and guest-starring roles in The Practice, Spin City, Law & Order and a recurring role on Central Park West.

In 2006 Raver appeared in the feature-film Night at the Museum, opposite Ben Stiller and Robin Williams. Other film credits include Prisoner with Julian McMahon, City Hall with Al Pacino, Mind the Gap and Keep Your Distance.

At the start of her career, Raver was discovered by famed director Ridley Scott during a commercial shoot. Her big break came with her Broadway debut in the play Holiday, in which she co-starred with Laura Linney and Tony Goldwyn.

A fine arts graduate of Boston University, Raver continues to study theater in New York with teacher and mentor Wynn Handman. She is fluent in French and German, the latter being a language she learned as a child from her German-born mother.

 

 

Sandra Oh

Character: Cristina Yang

Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada, Sandra Oh started ballet lessons at the age of four and performed in her first play, The Canada Goose, at the age of ten. She started working professionally at age 16 in television, theatre and commercials.

After three years at the prestigious National Theatre School of Canada, Oh beat out more than 1000 other hopefuls and landed the coveted title role in the telefilm,The Diary of Evelyn Lau, based on the true story of a tortured poet who ran away from home and ended up a drug addict and prostitute in Vancouver. Her performance brought her a Gemini (Canada's Emmy) nomination for Best Actress and the 1994 Cannes FIPA d'Or for Best Actress.

Oh won her first Genie (Canada's Oscar) for her leading role in Double Happiness, a bittersweet coming-of-age story about a young Chinese-Canadian woman. She moved to Los Angeles in 1996 to begin the first of six seasons as Rita Wu, the smart and sassy assistant on the comedy series, Arli$$, for which she won a Cable Ace Award for Best Actress in a Comedy. Additional television credits include Six Feet Under and Further Tales of the City. She has been nominated for multiple Emmy Awards and won a Golden Globe Award (Best Actress in a Supporting Role), a Screen Actors Guild Award (Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series) and a Diversity Award (2005 Creative Liberty Award) for her portrayal of Cristina on Grey's Anatomy.

On the big screen Oh can be seen starring alongside Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart in Rabbit Hole, as the teacher in Ramona and Beezus, as well as The Night Listener, 3 Needles, For Your Consideration, Sideways (for which she received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture), Hard Candy and Sorry Haters. Other feature films include Under the Tuscan Sun with Diane Lane, Bean, The Princess Diaries, and Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity.

Sara Ramirez

Character: Callie Torres

Prior to Grey's Anatomy, Sara Ramirez was seen in the Broadway smash-hit Monty Python's Spamolot as Lady of the Lake, for which she earned both a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical and an Outer Critics Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical.

Blessed with a rich, smoky voice, Ramirez graduated from the acclaimed Juilliard Drama School. Shortly after graduation, she made her Broadway debut starring as Wahzinak in Paul Simon's The Capeman. She followed that with a starring part in the Gershwins' Fascinating Rhythm, for which she received an Outer Critics Circle nomination for Best Actress.

Her television appearances include NYPD Blue, Law & Order: SVU, Third Watch and Spin City, plus several pilots.

Her concerts have included Martinis at the Martin, Sara Ramirez with Hollis Resnik at The Ravinia, Bravo Bernstein (MTW's 20th Anniversary gala concert) at the Hudson Theatre and The Barrington Stage Company Gala.

Sarah Drew

Character: Dr April Kepner

In the sixth season of Grey's Anatomy, Sarah Drew was introduced as Dr April Kepner, a resident from Seattle Grace's rival hospital, Mercy West.

Drew starred in Front of the Class and recurred on Private Practice, Privileged and award-winning show Mad Men.

Best known for her series regular work on Everwood, other credits include Weiners, opposite Jenny McCarthy and Andy Milonakis, The Baxter, alongside Elizabeth Banks and Paul Rudd, and Radio, alongside Cuba Gooding and Ed Harris.