Shonda Rhimes’ birthday (January 13) falls in a great time of the year—red carpet season. Before becoming the driving force behind everyone’s favorite ABC series (Scandal), Shonda was busy saving lives with Grey’s Anatomy, the drama that airs right before the Kerry hour. On her birthday we’re learning more about what’s on this writer, director, and producer’s resume and what other fun facts you should know about her.
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Upbringing
The Chicago native is the youngest of six kids. When she was a child she spent alot of her time reading books in a tree. She also went through a period where she only spoke French. She pretended her real family lived in Paris and were one day going to whisk her away.
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School Awards
After ranking top in her class at USC, she earned the Gary Rosenberg Writing Fellowship Award.
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Early Start
She took a lot of day jobs–office administrator, counselor that taught mentally ill and homeless people job skills–once she graduated and realized she was an unemployed scriptwriter.
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Directorial Debut
She directed a short film, Blossoms and Veils starring Jada Pinkett-Smith and Jeffery Wright.
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Screenplay
She wrote the 1998 film adaptation Introducing Dorothy Dandridge starring Halle Berry.
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Writing Resume
She wrote the movies Crossroads and Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.
Kids
She adopted two daughters, Harper (June 2002) and Emerson Pearl (February 2012), and had her third daughter Beckett (September 2013) through gestational surrogacy.
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Staff
This single mom oversees a staff of 550 people.
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Office Space
She went from wearing huge headphones as she wrote the script for Greys Anatomy on a picnic table out on the show’s back lot to having a private office.
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5pm Cocktails
While the latter part of her day consist of green drinks and water, around 5 pm every day she drinks a glass of red wine.
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