| Amelia Shepherd | |
|---|---|
| Private Practice & Grey's Anatomy character | |
 Caterina Scorsone as Dr. Amelia Shepherd | |
| First appearance | Private Practice: "Eyes Wide Open" (3.19) April 1, 2010 (as recurring cast) "Take Two" (4.01) September 23, 2010 (as series regular) Grey's Anatomy: "Superfreak" (7.03) October 7, 2010 (as guest star) "I Must Have Lost it on the Wind (11.01) September 25, 2014 (as series regular) Station 19: "Born to Run" (03.08) March 12, 2020 (as guest star) |
| Created by | Shonda Rhimes |
| Portrayed by | Caterina Scorsone |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Amelia Frances Shepherd |
| Nickname | Amy Hurricane Amelia The Other Shepherd Girl Shepherd The Junkie The Wrong Dr. Shepherd Auntie Amelia Shepherdes |
| Title | Chief of Neurosurgery M.D. F.A.C.S. |
| Occupation | Head of Neurosurgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital Neurosurgeon at Oceanside wellness group (former) Neurosurgeon at St. Ambrose Hospital (former) |
| Family |
|
| Spouse | |
| Significant other | Ryan Kerrigan (fiancé; deceased) James Peterson (ex-fiancé) Mark Sloan (one-night stand; deceased) Tom Koracick (one night stand) Atticus Lincoln (ex-boyfriend) Kai Bartley (ex-partner) |
| Children | Christopher Shepherd (deceased) (with Ryan) Britney Dickinson (aka Betty Nelson) (previously fostered) Scout Derek Shepherd Lincoln (with Link) |
| Relatives |
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| Nationality | American |
Amelia Frances Shepherd, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a fictional character from the ABC American television medical drama Grey's Anatomy and the spin-off series Private Practice, portrayed by Caterina Scorsone. Amelia was introduced in Season 3 of Private Practice, visiting her former sister-in-law, Addison Montgomery, and later became a partner at the Oceanside Wellness Group. In July 2010, it was announced that Scorsone was promoted to a series regular for season 4 of Private Practice after her guest appearance in the final five episodes of season 3. She remained on the show until its final episode in 2013.
Amelia's crossover to Grey's Anatomy began as a special guest in one episode of both the seventh (2010–11) and eighth (2011–12) seasons, which ran concurrently with the fourth (2010–11) and fifth (2011–12) seasons of Private Practice. After Private Practice ended its six-season run in January 2013, Scorsone returned to Grey's Anatomy, making recurring appearances in the final four episodes of Season 10 (2014). Following this, she was promoted to a series regular in Season 11 (2014–15) and has continued to be a central character through all subsequent seasons, including Season 20, which began airing in March 2024.
Amelia is the youngest sibling in the Shepherd family, and the character is marked by her struggles with addiction, ambition, and emotional trauma. She is a recovering drug addict whose storylines across both Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice revolve around her battle for sobriety, recklessness, and her career as a talented yet troubled neurosurgeon. Over the course of her arc, Amelia faces numerous personal and professional challenges, all while trying to establish herself beyond the shadow of her late brother, Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey). Scorsone's performance as Amelia has been praised by both critics and fans for portraying complex emotional depth and resilience.
Scorsone herself has described Amelia's "hero" journey as showing the "full phoenix-ing of a woman who was so broken and traumatized by loss and addiction", emphasizing the character's growth and redemption from her darker past. Amelia has also appeared as a guest star on the second Grey's Anatomy spin-off, Station 19, further establishing her presence in the Grey's Anatomy universe.[1]