Shonda Rhimes Reveals the NSFW Nickname ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Crew Had for Patrick Dempsey’s McDreamy

Shonda Rhimes is revealing another nickname that was associated with Patrick Dempsey’s McDreamy on Grey’s Anatomy.

The creator and producer revealed in an interview for Lynette Rice’s book How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey’s Anatomy that there was an NSFW nickname for Dempsey’s beloved doctor.

“We called him Dr. McScreamMeF—Me during the pilot. [McDreamy was] the PG-rated version,” she said via TVLine. “It’s really amazing that this thing that we came up with while shooting the pilot, just because Patrick Dempsey is so adorable, stuck.”

Considering the show is on ABC, simply going with McDreamy was definitely the safest option, but it’s not surprising to know that there was a much dirtier version during Grey’s Anatomy’s early days. Dempsey starred on Grey’s for the first 11 seasons until Dr. Derek Shepherd was tragically killed off. He eventually returned in a recurring guest spot during Season 17 when Meredith was in a coma due to COVID, and she was having beach dreams.

As for whether McDreamy could make another surprise appearance, Dempsey shared in 2022 that it was “up to the creators.” He continued, “It was great to go back and do the show on the beach. It was an important moment. I think everyone was really tired of being locked down, and fans were happy and very surprised. We pulled it off without letting anyone know we were doing it. So that was great.”

Meanwhile, Grey’s Anatomy is in the midst of its 22^nd season. The midseason finale in November ended on a cliffhanger that saw Camilla Luddington’s Jo Wilson in heart failure while preparing for the birth of her twin girls. Even 22 seasons in, Grey’s still manages to be unpredictable and keep fans on the edge of their seats, and even though the season has already killed off a major character, there’s no telling what will happen with Jo and her twins. But fans will find out on Thursday, Jan. 8 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.

For those who are missing McDreamy, all seasons of Grey’s Anatomy are streaming on Hulu, so people can go back and watch their favorite moments involving Derek. He may not have gotten that NSFW nickname to stick, but this information will make viewing a bit better and funnier, knowing what could have been.