Debbie Allen is not slowing down and she wants Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes to know it. The multitalented star opened up about directing Broadway’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone and how the experience is fueling her return to Grey’s Anatomy season 22.
The Emmy winning actress, director and choreographer, 76, was in a celebratory mood at the opening night of Broadway’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, a production she helms as director. Speaking at the event, Allen reflected on her ever expanding career and the energizing effect it continues to have on her.
Juggling the roles of actress, singer, director, producer, dancer and choreographer, Allen said that doing it all is what keeps her going. She described the experience as something that sustains her curiosity and keeps her constantly learning a lifelong student of her craft, she said, in every sense of the word.
A tight knit cast and a closed rehearsal room
The Broadway production, which features Taraji P. Henson as Bertha Holly and Cedric the Entertainer as Seth Holly, came together in what Allen described as an unusually intimate rehearsal environment. The cast was given a rare kind of privacy throughout the process the rehearsal room was closed to virtually all outsiders, with the sole exception being the late playwright August Wilson’s wife, Constanza Wilson.
That protected space, Allen said, allowed the cast to truly bond. They laughed together, stumbled together and found their footing together an experience she credited as the heartbeat of the production. It is exactly the kind of deep, unhurried creative work that theater uniquely allows, she noted, contrasting it with the compressed timelines of film and television sets.
The promise she made to Shonda Rhimes
That immersive Broadway experience did more than bring a powerful play to life it renewed Allen’s dedication to her long running role as Dr. Catherine Fox on Grey’s Anatomy. She made a direct pledge to Rhimes: everything she has sharpened through this theatrical process, she will bring back to the medical drama in full.
Rhimes, 56, was also present at opening night to cheer on her longtime collaborator. The Grey’s Anatomy creator expressed her enthusiasm for the production and her admiration for Allen’s work leading such a celebrated cast.
Allen has been part of Grey’s Anatomy since 2011, when she first appeared as the formidable Dr. Catherine Fox. Over the years, she expanded her presence on the show well beyond acting, taking on the roles of executive producer and director of multiple episodes making her one of the most influential figures behind the scenes of the ABC medical drama.
A career that just keeps climbing
In a 2024 interview, Allen marveled at the enduring success of Grey’s Anatomy, which is now in its 22nd season. She described the show as a kind of unstoppable force one that continues to grow its audience and deepen its cultural footprint with no ceiling in sight. She also spoke warmly about the sense of community and family the show has built over more than two decades, and noted that it has long served as an unexpected source of health education for its millions of viewers.
That legacy was further recognized in November 2025, when Allen received an honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards, alongside Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton and production designer Wynn Thomas. The Academy honored her for the lasting impact she has made across the entertainment industry, with Academy President Janet Yang describing her as a trailblazing figure whose work has captivated generations across multiple genres.
For Allen, it is clear that every new creative challenge whether on Broadway or on a hospital set in Seattle only deepens the well she draws from. And by her own account, Grey’s Anatomy will be better for it.
