T.R. Knight Admits Grey’s Anatomy Sex Scene with Ellen Pompeo Was 'Humiliating'; Here's WHY

T.R. Knight is opening up about what it was really like to film one of Grey's Anatomy's most uncomfortable moments. The actor recently shared his side of the infamous sex scene between his character George O'Malley, and Ellen Pompeo's Meredith Grey. Speaking with People, Knight admitted that filming the scene was a deeply embarrassing and emotional experience for both of them.

“We were both just really scared for what was going to happen,” Knight said. “It’s like, what are our characters doing here? What are they doing? You can't help but feel like this is not going to go well.” The scene took place in season two of the show, after Meredith’s split from Derek Shepherd and a tough conversation with her father. George used the emotional moment to express his feelings for her, which led to an awkward night that ended in tears and regret.

“You can't really find a more humiliating experience for both characters,” Knight shared. He also confirmed that they had to shoot the scene twice because the first take involved “too much thrusting,” something Pompeo also mentioned in a recent podcast interview.

While Pompeo admitted to crying during filming, Knight said, “I don’t remember me crying. [Ellen’s] memory is, I’m sure, better than mine.”
He recalled that repeating the scene made the experience worse. “I remember it being such a humiliating [scene], and then we had to go through it again to re-tape it. And then that was also like reliving it again.”

Knight also talked about how deeply actors care about their characters’ choices. “You see them heading down the dark road on a rainy night with no brakes and in a car, and you’re worried for them,” he said. Despite the discomfort, Knight praised the writers. “Let’s face it, we all make huge mistakes in life,” he said. “And we are not always at our best. I think that is something that’s a real, beautiful skill of Shonda’s.”

He ended by saying, “They are going to have this terrible, terrible sex that is going to haunt them for the rest of their life. Well, George’s short life, unfortunately.”

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