When Denzel Washington’s directing, you don’t want to flatline in front of the camera.
Fortunately, that didn’t happen when Washington stepped behind the lens for a 2016 episode of the medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy,” titled “The Sound of Silence.”
In an interview with the New York Post published Thursday, actor Jason George — who scrubs in as Dr. Ben Warren in the series — recalled what it was like when the Oscar-winning actor called the shots.
“Denzel Washington directed an episode, and it was an incredible episode that everybody was on their best [behavior] for,” George said. “Everyone shows up professionally anyway, but when Denzel’s directing your episode, everyone came [correct].”
According to George, even early call times inspired peak performance — especially from the show’s female cast members. He revealed that the women of the series showed up at 5 a.m., seemingly dressed for the red carpet and not the operating room.
But George had one unfulfilled wish from Washington’s brief stint in the director’s chair: a cameo.
“I would love to see him in front of the camera on the show. It’s never going to happen, but you’ve got to put it out there,” he said. “I’m hoping he does it. It’s Denzel. He’s got to come in as the doctor who is that dude, and everyone’s geeked out and excited about him. He’s got to come in as the expert.”
Of course, not every Grey’s cast member had a textbook-perfect experience with the director. In 2022, Entertainment Tonight reported that series star Ellen Pompeo had a more inflammatory reaction.
“Denzel went ham on my ass,” Pompeo admitted during a conversation with former co-star Patrick Dempsey on her podcast “Tell Me.”
She described an on-set squabble after she improvised a line during a scene — an unscripted move that Washington didn’t exactly diagnose as artistic liberty. He went on to remind her who was in charge that day — and Pompeo wasn’t pleased.
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“Listen, this is my show. This is my set. Who are you telling?” Pompeo recalled telling Washington. “You barely know where the bathroom is.”
Despite the clash, Pompeo made it clear there were no hard feelings post-op and says she has the “utmost respect” for Washington.
