George O'Malley was a
fictionalA character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
surgeonIn medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
from the
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television series
Grey's AnatomyGrey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
, portrayed by actor
T. R. KnightTheodore Raymond "T. R." Knight is an American actor. Knight's most high-profile role to date was his role as Dr. George O'Malley on ABC's medical drama Grey's Anatomy.-Early life:...
. Knight appeared as George from the beginning of the show until its fifth season finale. Knight will not be returning to the show and has been released from his contract. He was nominated for the Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series award at the 2007 Emmy Awards for his performance in the role.
Storylines
George appears from the first episode of
Grey's Anatomy, meeting fellow interns
Meredith GreyMeredith Grey is a fictional surgeon and the series protagonist on the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character is portrayed by actress Ellen Pompeo. In 2007, Pompeo was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Meredith...
(
Ellen PompeoEllen Kathleen Pompeo is an American actress, known for playing the title role of Meredith Grey on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy.-Early life:...
),
Cristina YangCristina Yang is a fictional surgeon on the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character is portrayed by actress Sandra Oh, who won a Golden Globe and a SAG Award in 2006 for the role...
(
Sandra OhSandra Oh is a Canadian actress. She is best known for the role of Dr. Cristina Yang on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, for which she has won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award. She also played notable roles in the feature films Under the Tuscan Sun and Sideways, and had a supporting role on the...
),
Izzie StevensIsobel 'Izzie' Katherine Stevens is a fictional character from the medical drama television series Grey's Anatomy, which airs on ABC in the United States. The character was created by series producer Shonda Rhimes, and was portrayed by actress Katherine Heigl from 2005 to 2010...
(
Katherine HeiglKatherine Marie Heigl is an American actress and producer. She is possibly best known for her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens on ABC's Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2010, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Drama Series in 2007...
) and
Alex KarevAlexander "Alex" Michael Karev, is a fictional surgeon on the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy, portrayed by actor Justin Chambers. The character was not included in the original pilot script, but was added in after the pilot was shot, meaning initial scenes with him were either reshoots or...
(
Justin ChambersJustin W. Chambers is an American actor and former Calvin Klein male fashion model. As of 2005, he is starring in the ABC drama series Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Alex Karev....
). George and Izzie move in with Meredith, who he has romantic feelings for, and become best friends. On the first day of his internship, George is selected by
cardiothoracicCardiothoracic surgery is the field of medicine involved in surgical treatment of diseases affecting organs inside the thorax —generally treatment of conditions of the heart and lungs .-Cardiac / Thoracic:...
consultantIn the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth, consultant is the title of a senior doctor who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty...
Preston BurkePreston Xavier Burke, more commonly known as Burke, is a fictional surgeon on the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character was portrayed by actor Isaiah Washington, up until the third season.-Storylines:...
(
Isaiah WashingtonIsaiah Washington IV is an American actor. A veteran of several Spike Lee films, Washington is best known for his role as Dr. Preston Burke on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2007.-Personal life:...
) as the first intern to perform surgery. He freezes in theatre, and is mocked by his peers. He further earns the nickname "007" because during his internship several of his first patients die. George dates nurse Olivia Harper, breaking up with her when he contracts
syphilisSyphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
from her, which she in turn contracted from Alex. His relationship with Alex is further strained when the two become trapped in an elevator with a patient who begins to bleed out. Alex freezes, and George is able to save the patient single-handedly. He goes on to admit his feelings to Meredith, and the two have a one-night-stand. When Meredith tells him that sleeping together was a mistake, George begins avoiding her and starts dating orthopedic surgeon
Callie TorresCalliope Iphegenia "Callie" Torres, M.D., is a fictional character from the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy, portrayed by actress Sara Ramírez...
(
Sara RamirezSara Ramírez is a Mexican-American singer/songwriter and actress. She is known for her role as Callie Torres in Grey's Anatomy and as the original Lady of the Lake in the 2005 Broadway musical Spamalot, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.-Early life:Ramírez...
).
During a camping trip, George learns that Callie has slept with
plastic surgeonPlastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
Mark SloanMark Sloan is a fictional surgeon from the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy, portrayed by Eric Dane.-Storylines:Mark first appears in season two, introduced as a highly-respected otolaryngologist sub-specialized in plastic surgery and the former best friend of neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd...
(
Eric DaneEric Dane is an American actor. After appearing in television roles throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he became known for playing Dr...
), and also discovers that Burke is experiencing tremors in his hands. When George's father is diagnosed with
esophageal cancerEsophageal cancer is malignancy of the esophagus. There are various subtypes, primarily squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma . Squamous cell cancer arises from the cells that line the upper part of the esophagus...
and a leaking
aortic valveThe aortic valve is one of the valves of the heart. It is normally tricuspid , although in 1% of the population it is found to be congenitally bicuspid . It lies between the left ventricle and the aorta....
, he refuses to allow Burke to operate on him, instead contacting
Erica HahnErica Hahn is a fictional character from the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy, portrayed by actress Brooke Smith. Hahn was a recurring character through the show's second and third seasons, and joined the main cast in the fourth season...
(
Brooke SmithBrooke Smith is an American actress. She is best known for her role on the TV show Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Erica Hahn and for her role as Catherine Martin in the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs.- Early life :...
), Burke's medical school rival. His relationship with Callie is strained when he confronts her about sleeping with Sloan, but he allows her to support him through his father's deteriorating health. Complications from his father's surgery leave him in multi-system
organ failureOrgan dysfunction is a condition where an organ does not perform its expected function. Organ failure is organ dysfunction to such a degree that normal homeostasis cannot be maintained without external clinical intervention.It is not a diagnosis...
, and his life support is turned off. In an attempt to overcome his grief, George
elopeTo elope, most literally, merely means to run away with a girl and to not come back to the point of origination. More specifically, elopement is often used to refer to a marriage conducted in sudden and secretive fashion, usually involving hurried flight away from one's place of residence together...
s with Callie to
Las VegasLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. He later begins to feel that he was mistaken to marry her, and sleeps with Izzie while intoxicated. Izzie confesses that she is in love with him. George considers transferring to a different hospital, but learns he has failed his intern exams.
George decides to repeat his intern year, and confesses to Callie that he slept with Izzie, leading the two to separate. George and Izzie embark on a short-lived relationship, only to discover there is no real chemistry between them. George moves in with new intern
Lexie GreyAlexandra Caroline Grey, more commonly known as Lexie Grey, is a fictional surgeon from the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character is portrayed by Chyler Leigh, and was created by Shonda Rhimes. She was made an official series regular for season four...
(
Chyler LeighChyler Leigh is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Dr. Lexie Grey on ABC's Grey's Anatomy. She also portrayed Janey Briggs in Not Another Teen Movie.-Early life:...
), Meredith's younger half-sister. Lexie and George discover that he only failed his exam by a single point, and received 14 outstanding letters of recommendation. He confronts
Richard WebberRichard Webber is a fictional surgeon from the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character is portrayed by actor James Pickens, Jr., and was created by Shonda Rhimes...
, the chief of surgery, and is allowed to re-take his exam. He passes on the second attempt, and begins to distance himself from Lexie, who has fallen in love with him. George supports Izzie when she discovers she has
cancerMelanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye...
, and walks her down the aisle when she marries Alex. He begins to display a talent for
trauma surgeryTrauma surgery is a surgical specialty involved in the invasive treatment of physical injuries, typically in an emergency setting. Trauma surgeons generally complete residency training in general surgery and often fellowship training in trauma or surgical critical care...
, and decides to join the army. While his friends at the hospital prepare an intervention to convince George to stay and not take off to countries where he could die, they all work on a severely disfigured John Doe, brought in after a horrible bus accident, in which he apparently pushed a woman out of the way and saved her life. When Meredith goes to check on John Doe, he seems to recognize her and won't let go of her hand. After several times of trying, he succeeds in writing "007" on Meredith's hand, and shocked, she realizes John Doe is in fact George. She informs the other attendings and they rush him to surgery. However, he flatlines during the surgery and is ultimately declared braindead. His organs are donated after Izzie confirms that this is what George would've wanted, and he is buried a week later.
In later episodes, it is seen that some characters are having trouble moving on. Izzie wishes she would still have her brain tumor (which allowed her to see visions of her deceased fiancé Denny Duquette), so she could see George again, and Bailey distances herself from her co-workers, as she cannot cope with having so many of them dying around her.
External links