George O'Malley

George O'Malley
Grey's Anatomy character
The Season 4 promotional photo of T. R. Knight as Dr. George O'Malley
First appearance"A Hard Day's Night" (1.01)
March 27, 2005
Last appearance"Now or Never" (5.24)
May 14, 2009
(as series regular)
"You'll Never Walk Alone" (17.04)
December 3, 2020
(as guest star)
Created byShonda Rhimes
Portrayed byT. R. Knight
In-universe information
Full nameGeorge O'Malley
TitleM.D.
OccupationSurgical resident at Seattle Grace Hospital
FamilyLouise O'Malley (mother)
Harold O'Malley (father, deceased)
Jerry and Ronnie O'Malley (brothers)
Spouse
(m. 2007; div. 2008)
Significant otherOlivia Harper (one-night-stand) Meredith Grey (one-night-stand) Izzie Stevens (ex-girlfriend)
ReligionCatholicism
Born1980
Died2009
StatusDeceased

George O'Malley, M.D., is a fictional character from the medical drama television series Grey's Anatomy, which airs on ABC in the United States. The character was created by series producer Shonda Rhimes and portrayed by actor T. R. Knight from 2005 to 2009. Introduced as a surgical intern at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, O'Malley worked his way up to the level of surgical resident. His relationships with his colleagues Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) and Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) were a central aspect of the series. O'Malley married Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez), from whom he later separated to pursue a relationship with Stevens. He also briefly entertained romantic interests with Grey and Olivia Harper (Sarah Utterback).

Knight auditioned for the role, initially expecting it to be a one-season stint. In 2009, following the conclusion of Season 5, it was confirmed that Knight would not return for Season 6. The actor cited a "breakdown in communication" with Rhimes, his character's reduced screen time, and his decision to come out as gay as reasons for his departure.

Knight received positive reviews for his portrayal of O'Malley, garnering him a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2007. Despite this, the character's death received mixed reactions from both critics and audiences.