“Grey’s Anatomy ”Star Kim Raver Reflects on ‘Incredible’ Opportunity to Shadow Female Directors on Set

Raver compared shadowing Debbie Allen before directing an episode of the long-running series to "training for the Russian ballet" at D23 on Aug. 10

Kim Raver is getting honest about what it's like to be a female director on the set of Grey's Anatomy.

The 24 alum, 55, plays Dr. Teddy Altman on the show and had the opportunity to direct a season 19 episode called "Training Day," which aired in March 2023.

During a panel at the D23 fan event in Anaheim, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 10, Raver reflected on why being a woman working on a show that Shonda Rhimes created is different than working on many other sets in the entertainment industry.

"I came up in the business where there were just... there [were] a lot of men, which is great — love all of you," she quipped, before adding that she "didn't get to see a lot of women doing a lot of the jobs."

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That changed for her in "Shondaland," she said, because there are opportunities for women — and other cast members — to get behind the camera.

But that doesn't mean that Raver was instantly granted the chance to direct or that the preparation process was easy.

The Lipstick Jungle alum shouted out her fellow cast members Kevin McKidd (who told the panel audience that he's in the middle of directing his 42nd episode for the series) and Chandra Wilson for being "incredibly supportive" of her training process.

Related: Grey's Anatomy Stars Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver on Creating a ‘Safe Place’ on Set amid On-Screen ‘Trauma’

"Everyone wanted me to just do my best, which is an incredible feeling but I also got to see other women directing and other women editing and writing and showrunning," Raver recalled.

She was clear that although she had one previous directing credit (for a TV movie called Tempting Fate), opportunities to direct aren't just handed out to Grey's Anatomy actors.

"You really, really really have to work hard," Raver told the audience.

She said she remained persistent in asking for the chance to direct and was eventually allowed to shadow Grey's Anatomy actress, director and executive producer Debbie Allen.

Related: Ellen Pompeo Is Set to Appear in 7 Episodes of Grey's Anatomy Season 21

"It was like training for the Russian ballet," Raver said of the experience, making the audience laugh. "It was like... you are to shadow, which is to be here but not be seen and not get in the way."

The Night at the Museum star laughed as she remembered squeezing behind the camera to take in "as much as possible."

In the end, Raver said she was grateful to be given a "huge" episode to direct with several stunts and a serious subject matter.

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"I just really had the time of my life and I really loved it and I felt really well-prepared and so incredibly supported," she said, after highlighting the fact that Wilson, 54, passed on lots of notes and wisdom to her.

Some other female actresses who have been given the chance to direct Grey's Anatomy episodes or webisodes include Ellen Pompeo and Sarah Drew, whose webisode series B Team was nominated for an Emmy in 2018.

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