George O'Malley | |
---|---|
Grey's Anatomy character | |
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 by | Shonda Rhimes |
Portrayed by | T. R. Knight |
In-universe information | |
Full name | George O'Malley |
Title | M.D. |
Occupation | Surgical resident at Seattle Grace Hospital |
Family | Louise O'Malley (mother) Harold O'Malley (father, deceased) Jerry and Ronnie O'Malley (brothers) |
Spouse | |
Significant other | Olivia Harper (one-night-stand) Meredith Grey (one-night-stand) Izzie Stevens (ex-girlfriend) |
Religion | Catholicism |
Born | 1980 |
Died | 2009 |
Status | Deceased |
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.