Rob Lowe Shares a Shocking Truth About 'Grey’s Anatomy' That Will Forever Change Fans

Grey's Anatomy fans, you're going to want to tighten your scrub caps for this one.

It's been more than a decade since the medical drama first premiered on ABC, and most of us who have been watching from the very beginning think we know just about everything there is to know about the show. But we've recently come across something truly shocking: Patrick Dempsey wasn't originally set to play Dr. Derek Shepherd a.k.a. McDreamy. We know, we know. It seems impossible to believe but it's 100% true.

Earlier this year, headlines were made when E! News posted on Instagram that 9-1-1- Lone Star actor Rob Lowe was first picked to be Derek Shepherd. The entertainment site posted an Instagram stating: "We were today years old when we learned Rob Lowe was *this close* to scrubbing in as McDreamy."

On top of all the comments from fans, Rob himself chimed in and commented: "true story." If you listen to Rob's new podcast, Literally, you'll know he often mentions how he turned down the Grey's gig. And back in 2019, he revealed he did so because he was already filming Dr. Vegas, which, unfortunately, only ran for five episodes.

Even so, the actor has been very open about not having any regrets about it — even if it did cost him "$70 million."

“This is what longevity, experience and recovery give you. There are no accidents,” he told Variety in February. “Whatever decision you come to, if you come to it from the right place, it’s never wrong.”

He also noted that if it wasn't for turning down Grey's, he'd never have ended up on Parks and Recs, where he played the iconic Chris Traeger. “Had I done Grey’s, I wouldn’t have been in Parks and Recreation. That alone for me is enough,” he said.

And all in all, he thinks the role of McDreamy went to right person.

"Me in that part isn't as interesting as Patrick in that part," he said. "If it'd been me [the fans] wouldn't have called me 'McDreamy,' they would have called me Rob Lowe."

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