Greetings From Shondaland: 16 Reasons Shonda Rhimes is the TV Titan of Our Times

She’s been called TV’s savior. She once described herself as a titan. Her production company is an entire land, graced by her name.

It would all seem a little exaggerated if it were not true.

Shonda Rhimes is a force in Hollywood. She’s created not one but multiple money-makings, trailblazing TV shows that double as a cultural phenomenon.

Her imagination has given birth to some of the strongest and most colorful characters in television history, in turn, gifting actors roles of a lifetime. Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope in “Scandal.” Viola Davis as Annalise Keating in “How to Get Away with Murder.” Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey and Patrick Dempsey as McDreamy in “Grey’s Anatomy.”

How did this titan capture her kingdom? Follow the footsteps of her hero’s journey.

Her Reach Is Global

Rhimes arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in 2018. Just like the Oscars, her shows are known around the world.Evan Agostini / AP Photo/Invision

In her book “The Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person,” Rhimes describes turning soup cans into a parade of personalities dancing in an epic tale concocted by her youthful imagination.

It’s not exactly the kind of thing that would make you popular. But, decades later, it has paid off.

Her shows aren’t just juggernauts in America. They’ve aired in 256 territories in 67 different languages for an audience of millions around the world.

Not bad for a shy kid with an odd hobby.

Her Rules, Her Shondaland

Shondaland has a tagline: “You are never alone in Shondaland. It’s where all the badasses live.”Shondaland

Rhimes founded her production company, Shondaland, in 2005, with “Grey’s Anatomy” as its first offering. She has since produced or created — sometimes both — eight more shows for ABC.

Shondaland is also a lifestyle website with the tagline: “You are never alone in Shondaland. It’s where all the badasses live.”

To no one’s surprise, Shondaland is steeped in its founder’s values and philosophy, famously among them, a “no assholes” policy.

Rhimes has been known to fire anyone who causes trouble in her shows, including a well-known beef with actress Katherine Heigl who was killed off in “Grey’s Anatomy.”

She’s a Leader in the #MeToo Movement

Rhimes has joined Ava DuVernay, Meryl Streep, Reese Witherspoon and other women in support of the #MeToo movement.Jordan Strauss / AP Photo/Invision

When Hollywood’s most powerful women got behind the #MeToo movement, they created Time’s Up, with a mission to fight systemic sexual harassment in Hollywood and in workplaces nationwide.

Joining women like Ava DuVernay, Meryl Streep, and Reese Witherspoon, Rhimes and others have raised millions of dollars for a legal defense fund.

Recently, Rhimes was part of a committee for women of color within the organization that called for a boycott of musician R. Kelly. The R&B singer has been the subject of consistent and multiple allegations of sexual harassment.

She’s a Political Power Player

Rhimes (far right), a supporter of Hillary Clinton's presidential bid in 2016, appeared during a Get Out the Vote concert in Philadelphia that year.Andrew Harnik / AP Photo

It’s no surprise that the creator of shows that mimic real-life political drama would be involved in politics herself.

She was behind a short film that introduced Hillary Clinton at the 2016 Democratic National Convention convention. She has also donated $1 million dollars to the Obama Foundation.

In 2016, she established the Rhimes Family Foundation. It supports arts, education, and activism, with a focus on fighting inequality and creating cultural inclusion. The foundation has also donated millions to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

She’s a Best-Selling Author

Rhimes's New York Times bestseller, in which she says "yes" to everything for a year, is part-memoir, part-inspirational book.Simon & Schuster

In 2016, Rhimes’s book “The Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person” became a New York Times bestseller.

Part-memoir, part-inspirational book, Rhimes details her process to fight her introvert tendencies by saying “yes” to everything for an entire year.

Page after page reveals deeply personal revelations. Rhimes talks about her decision to say yes to herself by saying no to marriage, her weight loss journey and her search for balance in life. In between confessions, she also reveals her intense ambitions and grueling work ethic.

“I am not lucky,” she writes. “You know what I am? I am smart, I am talented, I take advantage of the opportunities that come my way and I work really, really hard. Don’t call me lucky. Call me a badass.”

A true bossgirl book, if ever there was one.

She’s Wrestled With Writer’s Block

Rhimes's bout with writer's block didn't hold her back. Here she is at the 2015 Writers Guild Awards.Richard Shotwell / AP Photo/Invision

Rhimes has described her writing flow as an addictive hum that happens in her brain when she’s hitting her groove. The hum propelled one hit episode after another.

But, one day, the hum disappeared. In the midst of doing her dream job, it became all job.

She credits her children for getting her out of her rut. As part of her say “yes” challenge, she said she began to play with her children more, instead of scurrying to the next work obligation. In doing so, she learned to play again and find joy in the simple things.

Slowly, the hum returned.

She Has One Thing in Common With a Couple of American Icons

Rhimes, Robert Frost and Mr. Rogers are the only Dartmouth College (pictured) grads to ever come back to give the commencement address.Getty Images

In 1991, after graduating from Dartmouth, Rhimes claims her parents had to drag her kicking and crying from her college dorm. More than two decades later, she was on stage giving an inspirational commencement address at the school.

Rhimes urged the new grads to stop dreaming and start doing. She asked them to get off their social media soapbox and actually do something to make the world “suck a little less.” She handed down a reality check about having a family and a career and the difficulty of excelling in all areas of life.

Rhimes is one of the few Dartmouth grads to ever come back to give the commencement address. The only others: Robert Frost and Mr. Rogers.

She’s Adopted, Three Kids

Rhimes want to raise her children as citizens of the world, not as her best friends.Chris Pizzello / AP Photo

Rhimes has been clear and unapologetic about her lack of interest in marriage, but she has been extremely outspoken about the importance of motherhood in her life.

In 2002, she adopted her first daughter and adopted another girl in 2012. In 2013, she had another daughter via surrogacy.

Rhimes has waxed poetic about making sure her daughters understand that she is a successful, working parent. She has set up play areas for her girls in her Shondaland offices.

She describes her parenting style as one centered on raising great citizens of the world rather than coddling them into being her best friends. Rhimes has often credited her own parents for being wonderful role models.

Her father, a college professor, once signed a check to pay for her education with the directive, “Just don’t be a housewife.”

<---Back