With the runaway success of shows like Scandal and Grey’s Anatomy, Shonda Rhimes has become one of Hollywood’s most powerful icons.
Why you should listen
When ABC kicked off its 2014 television season by devoting its Thursday night line-up to the Shondaland shows How to Get Away With Murder, Scandal and Grey’s Anatomy, Shonda Rhimes -- already one of the most influential producers in Hollywood -- became arguably the single most powerful voice in television today. In 2015, ABC snapped up Rhimes’ latest series, The Catch. Shondaland shows have the special ability to capture both fan devotion and critical attention – she’s won everything from a Peabody Award to a People’s Choice Award.
Rhimes is known for her groundbreaking storytelling, her candor and humor in the face of her critics, and for never shying away from speaking her mind. She’s also known for her social media savvy, and fans of her shows basically own Twitter on Thursday nights. Her first book, Year of Yes, was published in November 2015.
What others say
She is one of the most powerful show runners in the business, full stop. Rhimes is among the few remaining bona fide network hitmakers.
Shonda Rhimes’ TED Talks
More news and ideas from Shonda Rhimes
News
A new mission to mobilize 2 million women in US politics … and more TED news
May 8, 2019
TED2019 may be past, but the TED community is busy as ever. Below, a few highlights. Amplifying 2 million women across the U.S. Activist Ai-jen Poo, Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza and Planned Parenthood past president Cecile Richards have joined forces to launch Supermajority, which aims to train 2 million women in the United […]
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The real news: In-depth conversations in a special session at TED2017
April 27, 2017
So much of our lives are gut reactions; they drive our newsfeeds, and they make our minds smaller. At TED2017, we decided to step back from the frenzy of the news media cycle to take an in-depth and nuanced look at three topics of particular interest — the forward march of machine learning with Sebastian […]
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Shonda Rhimes’ message at TED2016: Say ‘yes’ to what scares you, even if it’s saying ‘no’ to work
February 16, 2016
“A while ago, I tried an experiment,” says Shonda Rhimes, the “titan” behind Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder. “For one year, I would say ‘yes’ to all the things that scared me. Anything that made me nervous or took me out of my comfort zone, I’d say ‘yes.'” Public speaking? Yes. Acting? […]
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