Shonda Rhimes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shonda Rhimes
Rhimes in 2016
Born	Shonda Lynn Rhimes (1970-01-13) January 13, 1970 (age 55) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma mater	Dartmouth College (BA) University of Southern California (MFA)
Occupation	Television producer screenwriter
Years active	1995–present
Children	3

Shonda Lynn Rhimes (born January 13, 1970) is a famous American television producer and screenwriter. She is the founder of her own production company, Shondaland.

Shonda Rhimes is known for creating, writing, and producing many popular TV shows. These include the medical drama Grey's Anatomy (which started in 2005) and its spin-off Private Practice (2007–2013). She also created the political thriller Scandal (2012–2018). She was the first woman to create three TV dramas that each reached 100 episodes!

She has also been an executive producer for other hit shows. These include How to Get Away with Murder (2014–2020), the historical drama Bridgerton (which started in 2020), and its spin-off Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023). She also produced Inventing Anna (2022). Shonda has won a Golden Globe Award and received special honors from the British Academy Television Awards and International Emmy Awards.

Time magazine has named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world three times. In 2015, she wrote a book about her life called Year of Yes. She also started The Rhimes Family Foundation to support arts, education, and activism.

Shonda's Early Life and Education

Shonda Rhimes was born in Chicago, Illinois. She was the youngest of six children. Her mother was a college professor, and her father worked at a university. Both her parents went to college while raising their children, which is pretty amazing!

Shonda grew up in a town called University Park, Illinois. She loved telling stories from a young age. When she was in high school, she volunteered at a hospital. This experience later helped inspire her medical TV shows.

She went to Dartmouth College and studied English and film. She also joined a theater group and spent her time directing, acting, and writing stories. After college, she worked in advertising for a bit. Then, she moved to Los Angeles to study screenwriting at the University of Southern California (USC). She was one of the top students in her class at USC!

While at USC, she got to work as an intern for Debra Martin Chase, a famous producer. Shonda says that mentors like Debra helped her a lot in her early career.

How Shonda Started Her Career

After finishing college, Shonda was a scriptwriter looking for work in Hollywood. She took different jobs to earn money, like working as an office administrator. She even worked as a counselor helping people find jobs.

In 1995, she worked as a research director for a documentary called Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream. This film won an award! In 1998, Shonda directed a short film called Blossoms and Veils.

Her first big writing jobs for movies included Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999) for HBO. She also wrote Crossroads (2002), which was pop star Britney Spears' first movie.

In 2004, Shonda wrote The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, a sequel to the popular Disney movie. She enjoyed working on this film, especially with actress Julie Andrews.

Shondaland: Her Production Company

Shonda Rhimes in 2016.

Shondaland is the name of Shonda Rhimes's production company. It's also a nickname for all the amazing shows she has produced!

Here are some of the popular shows that are part of Shondaland:

• Grey's Anatomy (2005–present)
• Private Practice (2007–2013)
• Scandal (2012–2018)
• How to Get Away with Murder (2014–2020)
• The Catch (2016–2017)
• Station 19 (2018–2024)
• Bridgerton (2020–present)
• Inventing Anna (2022)
• Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023)

Shonda's Deal with Netflix

In 2017, Netflix announced a special deal with Shonda Rhimes. This meant that all her future TV shows would be made only for Netflix. Netflix already had the rights to stream old episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Scandal.

This deal was a big win for Netflix because Shonda is such a successful creator. The first show from this deal was Bridgerton, which came out in 2020. It became one of the most-watched series ever on Netflix! This success led to more seasons of Bridgerton and the spin-off Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.

Shonda's Personal Life

Shonda Rhimes has three daughters. She adopted her first daughter in 2002 and her second in 2012. In 2013, she welcomed her third daughter through a gestational surrogacy.

In 2014, she gave a speech at her old college, Dartmouth College. They even gave her an honorary doctorate degree! In 2015, Shonda shared that she had lost a lot of weight through exercise and healthy eating.

Shonda's Activism

Shonda Rhimes is also involved in important causes. In 2017, she helped start Time's Up. This organization works to fight against harassment and promote safety and equality in the workplace.

In 2019, Shonda joined an organization called When We All Vote. This group encourages people to vote in elections.

Awards and Recognition

Shonda Rhimes has won many awards for her amazing work. She won a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama in 2006 for Grey's Anatomy. She also received special honors at the International Emmy Awards and the British Academy Television Awards.

She has been recognized by many groups for her writing, directing, and producing skills. These include the Costume Designers Guild Awards, Directors Guild of America Award, Writers Guild of America Award, and Producers Guild of America Awards.

Filmography: Shonda's Works

Shonda Rhimes has worked on many films and TV shows. Here's a look at some of them:

See also

In Spanish: Shonda Rhimes para niños