logo
Getty Images
Getty Images

Chandra Wilson Talks about Her Role as a Powerful Black Woman on 'Grey's Anatomy'

Junie Sihlangu
May 03, 2021
07:10 P.M.

At the beginning of the year actress, Chandra Wilson was interviewed about her longtime role in the series “Grey’s Anatomy.” The interview focused on her race as a Black woman.

Advertisement

For the past sixteen years, Chandra Wilson, 51, has played the role of Dr. Miranda Bailey on “Grey’s Anatomy.” The show is currently airing its seventeenth season on the ABC network.

The fan-favorite series has been acclaimed for casting diverse characters and giving leadership roles to women of color in medicine. The show gave a platform to Black women doctors in the form of Wilson’s character.

Chandra Wilson at the People's Choice Awards on January 18, 2017, in Los Angeles, California | Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images

Chandra Wilson at the People's Choice Awards on January 18, 2017, in Los Angeles, California | Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images

Seeing women of color in the medical field wasn’t a norm on television sixteen years ago. Wilson confessed that she didn’t recognize the significance of Bailey’s role at the beginning of the show.

The actress’s role gave other women of color inspiration to believe that going into the medical field was a plausible idea. Her character allowed people to see endless possibilities in their careers.

Advertisement

She hadn’t realized that her role had an empowering factor. The star always thought of “power” as being able to employ people or to open doors for others; however, Wilson now finds it real when people say:

Advertisement

"I am going to go to medical school because I've seen Dr. Bailey on television."

Advertisement

Besides empowering fellow women, Wilson has had to challenge herself with her character. Through the years, she’s struggled with an obsessive-compulsive disorder, survived a heart attack and a miscarriage.

The 17th season of “Grey’s Anatomy” started filming in Los Angeles at the beginning of the year. The upcoming series will see the actress battling other obstacles as the show tackles the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Advertisement

The Texas native was actually quite lucky to have snagged the role of Bailey. The show initially wanted to cast a small blond woman who boasted curls and was underestimated by those around her.

The illness appears as food poisoning but continued for months before it was picked up.

However, Wilson went for the role, not caring about fitting into the specific look. She openly admitted to the casting crew that she knew what they were looking for in Bailey but wanted to challenge them.

Advertisement

Sadly being a doctor on television doesn’t help much when faced with personal challenges. In 2017, she revealed to Daily Mail that her daughter, Sarina McFarlane, suffers from cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS).

The condition was a medical mystery for many years, and it took ten months for McFarlane to be properly diagnosed. The illness appears as food poisoning but continued for months before it was picked up.

Advertisement
Advertisement
info

We at news.AmoMama.com do our best to give you the most updated news regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, but the situation is constantly changing. We encourage readers to refer to the online updates from CDС, WHO, or Local Health Departments to stay updated.Take care!

Related posts

'Matilda' Star Quit Acting Because She 'Didn't Have That Hollywood Beauty' and Took On Jobs Like Being a Nanny — What Happened to Mara Wilson?

August 14, 2024

'Beverly Hills, 90210' Cast Lost Two Actors – What Happened to the Other Characters?

July 17, 2024

'Too Beautiful to Be James Bond': One Actor Pierce Brosnan Wants to Be the Next Agent 007 & More Candidates

July 12, 2024

7 Beauties of the Past: How Famous Actresses Have Changed over Decades

August 01, 2024

Ricki Lake’s Transformation: Inside Her Dramatic Weight Loss without Ozempic in Photos

June 21, 2024

Candice Bergen Proudly Embraces Her Body – Her Journey from Bombshell to Lovely Granny

June 19, 2024

10 Stars Who Confessed to Taking Ozempic, Weight Loss Medications: Oprah, Tori Spelling, & More

June 27, 2024

'Little House on the Prairie' Turns 50 This Year – How the Cast Has Changed over the Decades

May 15, 2024

This Child Star Deemed Herself 'Ugly' & Left Hollywood to Work as Nanny – Her New Pics Make Fans Say She's 'Absolutely Beautiful'

August 07, 2024

What Happened to This 'NYPD Blue' Star Who Fans Called 'Nearly Unrecognizable' in Recent Years?

August 27, 2024

8 Celebrities Who Swapped Their Signature Hues for Surprising Hairstyles — Photos of Their Transformations

May 07, 2024

What Happened to Sally Struthers 53 Years after 'All in the Family's' Release – Inside Her Life

July 05, 2024

Users Urge Barbara Eden to Quit Botox at 93 - Her Transformation Leaves Users in Awe

August 30, 2024

Then and Now: How the Legendary Bond Girls Have Aged Gracefully

June 25, 2024