‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Showrunner Recalls Learning Dolly Parton Died in the ‘Middle of Shooting’ an Episode About Her

Showrunner Meg Marinis of Grey's Anatomy revealed on Thursday (Oct. 15) that the production team was in the midst of filming an episode about Dolly Parton when they learned of the country superstar's death. The episode, titled "It's All Wrong, But It's All Right," was inspired by a pitch from writer Jase Miles-Perez. The show's director, Debbie Allen, was directing the scene when news broke of Parton's passing at age 80 due to cancer.

"We were literally filming the storyline that day on stage," Marinis explained. "The title of that episode is a Dolly Parton song." Season 23 of Grey's Anatomy premiered the same day as the interview's publication, following the departures of longtime stars Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver. While the long-running drama's future remains uncertain, Marinis expressed gratitude for the show's longevity and the honor of honoring Parton with the storyline.