Television producer, screenwriter, and author Shonda Rhimes has been reigning in the TV industry for several years. Millions of viewers worldwide watch her shows for multiple reasons, and one of the best things she’s known is having a diverse cast. Let’s explore five of the most popular TV shows by Shonda Rhimes starring black/mixed actors.
1. Bridgerton
Adjoa Andoh – Lady Danbury
Regé-Jean Page – Simon Basset / The Duke of Hastings
Golda Rosheuvel – Queen Charlotte
Despite Rhimes’ well-deserved reputation for diversity in casting, it still came as a surprise to see mixed-race Regé-Jean Page cast as the Duke of Hastings in Bridgerton. Set in Regency England, we’re used to seeing an all-white cast to ‘accurately’ depict the population of the time. However, Rhimes is never one to follow the rules.
Lady Danbury is a beloved character in the novel series, and it’s a pleasure to watch Adjoa Andoh does a fantastic job embodying the character. Queen Charlotte, played by Golda Rosheuvel, is equally as loved, and our adoration has only grown in season 2. She’s set to have a spin-off show depicting the life of young charlotte, so fingers crossed it’s equally as amazing.
2. Grey's Anatomy
Jesse Williams – Jackson Avery
Chandra Wilson – Miranda Bailey
Kelly McCreary – Maggie Pierce
James Pickens Jr. – Richard Webber
Grey’s Anatomy is the longest-running primetime medical drama in TV history. Actors have come and gone, but what remains is Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey and a diverse cast performing alongside her. Williams, Wilson, McCreary and Pickens Jr. have been on the show for varying lengths of time and have had storylines that have caused viewers to have any and every emotion imaginable. It’s always great to see talented black actors cast as intelligent, successful doctors, a reflection on real-life that the media would often have us believe doesn’t exist.
3. How to Get Away with Murder
Viola Davis – Annalise Keating
Aja Naomi King – Michaela Pratt
Billy Brown – Detective Nate Lahey
Alfred Enoch – Wes Gibbins
How to Get Away with Murder is one of the shows by Shonda Rhimes that fans absolutely love. For her performance as a criminal defence professor, Viola Davis became the first black woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. It’s always special to see a dark-skinned woman play the lead on a network tv show, and Davis does it stunningly well. It ran for six successful seasons, with surprise twists, turns and deaths along the way.
4. Scandal
Kerry Washington – Olivia Pope
Joe Morton – Rowan Pope
Accurately named TV show Scandal had seven seasons between 2012 to 2018. The show is centred around “fixer” Olivia Pope, her crisis-management firm and her relationship with the President of the United States. In season two, Joe Morton joined the cast, playing Olivia’s father.
Crossovers are another great thing about shows by Shonda Rhimes. We got to see Viola Davis and Kerry Washington team up in epic Scandal-HTGAWM crossover episodes.
5. Still Star-Crossed
Lashana Lynch – Rosaline Capulet
Ebonee Noel – Livia Capulet
Still Star-Crossed is based on a novel of the same name by Melinda Taub and follows the forced betrothal of Rosaline Capulet to Benvolio Montague following the deaths of their cousins Romeo and Juliet. The show had a colour blind cast with black British actress Lashana Lynch starring as the lead character and Ebonee Noel as her sister. Unfortunately, the show only ran for one season due to low viewer numbers, but that one season left a lasting impression for its vibrant world-building.
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