Here’s Grey’s Anatomy Justin Chambers getting some rest and relaxation at the Two Bunch Palms Resort in Palm Springs.
If you remember, he recently spent some time in the UCLA medical center getting help for a preexisting sleep disorder.
Looks like all is well now. More pics after the jump.
Rant and rave about Patrick Dempsey all you want, I’ve always found Justin Chambers–or Dr. Alex Karev as some of you may know him–way sexier than McDreamy or McSteamy. I know I’ve said that before but I have to keep reiterating it until America wakes up and stops drooling over those overrated non-actors. Marry me Justin!
Another photo from the spread.
Averaging about 19.6 million viewers this season and actually beating ratings juggernaut (and sister show) Desperate Housewives for a few weeks (thanks in large part to a certain bomb and the Superbowl), Grey’s Anatomy has become a bona fide hit for the, at one point, desperate ABC.
Its ratings have cooled down since its monster post-Superbowl numbers, but the show is still holding its own, which should be further proven in the coming weeks as May sweeps heat up and Grey’s Anatomy unveils its three-part Season Finale.
Grey’s, which was a mid-season replacement for the James Spader legal dramedy Boston Legal — a show that was not doing well in the 10:00 time slot behind Housewives — has enamored critics and audiences in the past year and a half. The show ended up netting much more of Housewives’ audience than Boston Legal did and allowed ABC to monopolize Sunday nights, including the hour before Housewives with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
Patrick Dempsey, known for Sweet Home Alabama and Scream 3, plays Derek Shepherd, the love interest of main character Meredith Gray (of the title), played by Ellen Pompeo (Moonlight Mile and Catch Me If You Can). At the end of the first season, after Meredith and Derek have played out their romance, it is revealed that Derek is in fact married. This obstacle to their romance provided the major storyline for season two.
Other notable performers are Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award winner Sandra Oh, whose Cristina Yang not only provides diversity to the show along with her co-stars Isaiah Washington (Dr. Preston Burke), Chandra Wilson (Dr. Miranda Bailey), and James Pickens Jr. (Dr. Richard Webber), but brings a sardonic wit to the show that balances out its inherent melodrama.
Other stars include Kate Walsh as Addison Shepherd, Derek’s tough but compassionate wife, Justin Chambers as the obligatory sexy hospital villan Alex Karev, T.R. Knight as the shy and lovable George O’Malley, and Katherine Heigl as the smart but emotional Izzie Stevenson. Katharine, whose character on the show is quite nice, is apparently, sources say — not so much. Heigl reportedly had a temper tantrum on set a few weeks ago — according to sources, she is nothing like her good-hearted character. I think it’s a load of crap, but you never know with performers.
Like Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy has come under a little scrutiny lately for its lagging storylines and cooling humor, as well as having many fans voice their disdain for Ellen Pompeo’s gratuitous “Mary Alice-esque” “A-wise-man-once-said” narration at the beginning and end of the show. Needless to say however, the show is still going strong.
Star Pulse reports what’s coming up on Grey’s Anatomy May 14 and 15:
“17 Seconds” - Finn gives a health update on Doc, Meredith has to work with Callie for the day and George must spend the day with McDreamy. Meanwhile Burke and Izzie are still searching for a heart for Denny. This is all going down on part one of the season finale on Sunday, May 14.
In the first hour of part two of the season finale — “Deterioration of the Fight or Flight Response” — Izzie and George take care of Denny while the clock continues to tick for finding him a new heart. Cristina is in charge of an ER and Dr. Shepherd (the male one) find himself with his friend’s life in his hands.
In the second hour, “Losing My Religion,” Richard investigates a patient’s condition, Callie finally grills George about his feelings for her, and Meredith and Derek talk about Doc. Part two of the season finale of “Grey’s Anatomy” airs Monday, May 15.
Here is an interview Breath of Fresh Ink’s January Hottie of the Month Justin Chambers
Justin Chambers Could Not Research His Character in The Zodiac Movie: “He was a composite of a few different detectives in different jurisdictions. This character is sort of out of [director] Alex [Bulkley]’s mind, so I had a bit of a creative license to go with him how I thought he would do it. My idea was to go to this town, a week and a half before we started shooting, and just engross myself in the community a little bit. I would drive around and just map out Vallejo, and just try to place myself, living there, at this period of time. I just put myself back in the 60s.”
Justin Chambers Was Affected By the Zodiac Movie Work: “Matt definitely had a lot to deal with, and I think that would be trying on everybody. I was tweaked out a little bit, during the filming. You can see it in Matt’s eyes. Here’s a guy who’s chasing a phantom, and your imagination starts to get carried away because you don’t know who this is or what they look like or what they’re about. It can run the whole gamut. This is a guy who is trying to get the bad guy to protect his family and protect his community. He was very serious and charmless.”
Justin Chambers on the Era of the Zodiac Killer: “Something crazy was going on. The whole sex, drugs and rock and roll was really starting to happen. There were the racial riots in the South. King was assassinated, and Kennedy. I wasn’t there. But, with Matt, all this stuff was going on in the outside, but in his protective little bubble, it wasn’t. And, now, it really was bleeding into it.”
Justin Chambers on Matt Parish’s Stress in The Zodiac Movie: “I probably would have packed up and left. I would have found somewhere else. It’s not worth it. I think anyone, when you really care about your family, will do anything to protect them. But, it’s also his job. Man, that guy was really stressed. He needed to go to rehab too, to detox on the cigs and liquor.”
Justin Chambers on the Upcoming David Fincher Zodiac Killer Movie: “I’m sure it’s going to be very good. I like his films. Somebody said that they’re going to have an ending, which doesn’t make sense to me. Like, they catch the killer. That’s what I heard. I don’t know if it’s true. Maybe it’s just speculation of what could have happened. It’s pretty scary, somebody who hides and sends letters. You don’t know who it is. Is he dead? Was he 18 when he committed these [murders]? He could be alive. Was he from the town?”
For the Ladies, Justin Chambers on His Grey’s Anatomy Character Alex Karev: “Some cool stuff’s going to happen. He’s definitely going to go back to the darker side. He’s going to fall into that. He just has a lot to work out. He doesn’t know how to express himself correctly. I think he’s in love with Izzy, but she’s not.”
Justin Chambers on Contributing to Alex Karev’s Grey’s Anatomy Storylines: “Yeah, you can. I’ve had a few ideas. Sometimes they’ll listen, and sometimes they don’t. I just give them ideas. I’m not a writer. Far from it. Sometimes, we’ll get the script a day before we start shooting. And, throughout even shooting that week, they’ll change things completely, and even take the character in a different way. It’s always a surprise.”
Justin Chambers on Grey’s Anatomy Guest Stars: “We had Laurie Metcalfe. Mary Kay Place came on right before. And, last night, you saw Natalie Cole. That’s what makes the job fun. You come in, not knowing who’s coming in, and you watch their work and get to learn, watching them. They’re usually really gracious, and exciting to watch. It’s a really nice gig.”
Justin Chambers on Learning Medical Jargon for Grey’s Anatomy: “We have a wonderful woman, Linda Kleine, who’s the technician. So, if we ever have a question about a certain surgery or disease, we can just talk to her about it, and she’ll break it down into common folk language. Sometimes, just getting down some of the three or four syllable words is enough work. The show really is about relationships, more than anything, and some of the patients.”
How Grey’s Anatomy Changed Justin Chambers’ Life: “Grey’s Anatomy is the most success I’ve had. A television show like that really reaches a lot of people. We live in a small place outside of Manhattan. No one gives a crap [about what I do], and no one knows. I’ve always been the guy from such and such film, but it was never like people would come up.
“Now, with the impact of Grey’s, that’s starting to change. But, it was kind of cool that way because my kids lived a pretty normal life, and I made enough to pay my bills and got to work. I guess it’s changed, in that way. The popularity of the show has made me more visible and made people more aware of who I am. I get a lot of cat calls. It’s like, ‘It’s a character. Give me a fucking break.’ Some people are like Trekkies with this show. There’s some women out there who are really into it. And then, the guys are always like, ‘Oh, my wife loves your show,’ but they know everything about it too.
So what’s the weirdest Grey’s Anatomy fan encounter? “Nothing too weird. Those are questions for Dempsey. I’m sure he’s had some crazy things happen. We went to some convention recently, and there were a few women that I sort of felt like were elbowing me to get passed me to get to Dempsey. But, it was as if they really believed I was the character, which is great. I’m doing my job. I don’t give a crap. I really don’t. Am I going to ask you out for a drink? No.”
By Robert Bianco, USA TODAY
Talk about a show exploding.
Boosted by a Super Bowl launch pad and a bazooka-bomb-in-the-belly plotline, Grey’s Anatomy has rocketed into record ratings and much more intense attention. And it has done so without straying from its chosen path: The deft blend of comedy, drama, sex and romance has turned this show into one of the most enticing hours on TV.
Grey’s heightened success could not come at a better time for ABC; the network’s biggest hit, the once-white-hot Desperate Housewives is showing signs of cooling. We shouldn’t read too much into last week’s ratings, which found Grey’s on top of Housewives for the first time: Housewives is still a vastly popular show, and deservedly so. But there’s no doubt that the buzz is off the rose, which is what generally happens to an instant phenomenon.
It’s possible, of course, that many of the folks who were hooked into Grey’s Super Bowl special will now go on their way. Those who return Sunday, however, will be treated to an incredibly appealing episode that is more in tune with the show’s low-key norm.
Odds are, thanks to the promo, Grey’s most sharp-sighted fans have figured out some of what happens. But in deference to those who haven’t, and to creator Shonda Rhimes‘ admirable attempts to keep her secrets intact, I won’t give away any plot points.
At any rate, the impact of events on Grey’s isn’t always immediately evident. So let’s just say that major secrets are revealed as some desires are fulfilled and others are frustrated. Love isn’t always smart on Grey’s and it isn’t always enough, as much as we might wish it were.
The real constant on this show is the warm embrace in which it envelops its characters: Burke (Isaiah Washington, who is pretty McDreamy himself), who is so perplexed by his love for Cristina (Sandra Oh); George (T.R. Knight), the quintessential nice guy who can’t get the nice girl to notice him; Izzie (Katherine Heigl), who is drawn to Alex (Justin Chambers); and our beloved Bailey (Chandra Wilson), whose role this week is mostly a baby-carrying cameo.
At the center is TV’s most complex and convincing romantic triangle as Derek (Patrick Dempsey) tries to find his way between his love for Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and his obligation to Addison (Kate Walsh). It’s a tribute to all three actors that each side seems equal and that each can make a valid claim on our sympathy while equally taxing our patience.
In the end, that rooting interest is what separates Grey’s from Housewives. It’s easier to believe in Grey’s characters and to care what happens to them. To its fans’ relief, Housewives has overcome an awful seasonal start and turned back into an entertaining, over-the-top camp romp. But the problem with romps is that they can become tiring.
There’s no question that Housewives lost something essential when it let go of last year’s central mystery, the suicide of a suburban mother. That plot allowed the show to tap into a zeitgeist angst that has eluded it so far this year, as it wanders between unconnected plots and unbelievable incidents.
Still, though it has faltered a bit, Housewives is still big and brassy and fun. Grey’s is a softer, smaller show with a very different feminine energy — one that is just as sexual and competitive but far more nurturing. Last week, Grey’s compared the male fantasy of a ladies-shower-a-trois with the female reality. Housewives exists in a colorful, bangle-beaded world of its own beyond fantasy and reality.
That can be a nice place to visit, but in the long run, you might rather live with Grey’s. The occasional bomb notwithstanding.
The January Breath of Fresh Ink Hottie of the Month is none other than Justin Chambers, better known as Dr. Alex Karev on ABC’s Primetime hit Grey’s Anatomy. Everyone I know is so ga-ga over Patrick Dempsey, but Justin is SO much hotter.
