Shonda Rhimes is the head writer and executive producer of the Emmy Award winning shows Grey's Anatomy and its spin-off Private Practice. In 2007, Shonda was listed among one of Time Magazine's "100 People Who Have Shaped The World".
Shonda was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1970. She spent her time as a candy striper in high school and was inspired to tell stories at that time. The critically acclaimed medical drama Grey's Anatomy was the inspiration for her days as a candy striper. She received her bachelor's degree at Dartmouth College and shortly after graduation she landed a job in advertising in San Francisco. A few years later she relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in screenwriting. She worked many day jobs while struggling as an unemployed writer in Hollywood. Her first film called "Blossoms and Veils" was a short starring Jeffrey Wright and Jada Pinkett-Smith.
In 2003, Shonda was able to woo producers with her TV pilot called "Grey's Anatomy. The show was greenlit in 2004 and currently the series is in its 8th season. Shonda Rhimes won the Golden Globe Award in 2007 for Best TV series drama for Grey's Anatomy.
She's had some hiccups along the way. She actually won a Razzie Award (an award infamous for bad acting, writing, and films) for the Britney Spears film "Crossroads". That minor setback certainly has not stunted her career. Her Grey's spinoff Private Practice (starring Taye Diggs and Audra McDonald) is one of the most highly rated shows in primetime and is currently in its 5th season. She is currently developing a new show for ABC called "Scandal" which will begin midseason.
