Updates On The Grey's Anatomy Benefit and Cast Contracts

A few updates from Grey's boss Shonda Rhimes who had a chat with TV Guide regarding the Grey's Anatomy benefit and cast contracts...

As you may know, Sandra Oh and a majority of her cast members are putting together a benefit for The Actors Fund where they'll be performing songs from the musical episode of Grey's as well as other songs from the show. Singer/songwriter Ingrid Michaelson who's had a few of her songs featured on the show - like the one in this epic Cristina scene - will be joining the cast on stage.

Sandra Oh did not sing in the musical episode, but according to Grey's boss she'll be participating in the benefit by doing "a couple of special things" instead. No further details on what that might be, but a few years ago the cast did another benefit where the non-singing cast members introduced the performers and performed readings of fan mail and fan fiction.

There are still plenty of tickets left for the benefit which will take place on March 18th in LA, so get yours here.

In the interview Shonda Rhimes also commented on the current contract status of the original cast members, saying that everybody wants to come back, but that there's "money stuff" to be resolved. This is what she said about that:

TV Guide Magazine: You must know by now if Patrick and Ellen will be back next season. 

Rhimes: I have no idea. I have my fingers crossed. What I think is really lovely is that everybody wants to come back. There's [money] stuff happening. I am [confident], but I have a plan in place for the finale that can occur regardless of who is staying. Our goal is to have Derek and Meredith move in to the completed dream house. [A real L.A. home will be used.] And our residents will be interviewing for jobs all around the country.

ABC's President Comments On Grey's Cast Contracts

ABC's president, Paul Lee, was asked by reporters today at the TCA press tour about the ongoing contract negotiations with the original cast of Grey's, and even though we're none the wiser - this is what he had to say about that:

"Well, certainly we don't have any comments about those contracts," Lee says of the Grey's cast negotiations for a season nine. "Grey's came roaring back, it's creatively still at the top of its form. Shonda Rhimes has a vision like nobody else. We've heard her vision for this season and beyond, and I'm feeling really good about the show."

Source

Grey's Anatomy: The Season 8 Finale Is Set

Grey's Anatomy is still one of ABC's top-rated TV shows, and Sandra Oh and other original cast members are currently in negations with the network about their future on the show, as their contracts expire at the end of this season.

Grey's boss Shonda Rhimes revealed in an interview with TVLine that not even she's aware of what's happening on in the negotiation room, and how not knowing who'll come back for another season has affected her plans for the season 8 finale:

“I have figured out how the season is going to end, which was the most complex puzzle I’ve had to put together — ever,” Rhimes tells TVLine. ”We have all these moveable pieces of who’s coming back and who’s not, and finally I just decided to focus on what was going to be best creatively for the show and figure out a way to make it work REGARDLESS of what is happening [off screen].”

That’s a change from Rhimes’ initial goal, which was to wait and see how negotiations with core castmembers (Patrick Dempsey, Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Justin Chambers, included) played out and then solve the finale conundrum — a plan she now admits made her rather anxious.

...

Rhimes insists she doesn’t “know anything about what’s happening” with regard to the contract talks. “I write the scripts,” she notes, “I don’t negotiate the contracts.” 

More on the cast's contract negotiations: Ellen Pompeo speculates, Kevin McKidd's gut feeling, TVLine's Michael Ausiello guesses.

Grey's Anatomy: Cast Contract Talks Have Begun

Status update regarding the original cast members' contract negotiations for season 9 from TV Line:

Question: Any Grey’s Anatomy scoop? Especially on Meredith and Derek? —Bridget 

Ausiello: ABC wants them both back next season. I hear the network has begun preliminary talks with the show’s original castmembers (including Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey) to extend their contracts beyond the current season.

My guess? Dempsey will agree to return for an abbreviated number of episodes; everyone else will be back full-time. (Again, that’s just my guess.)

As for Sandra Oh, if her co-star Kevin McKidd was to guess, Sandra will be around for season 9.

A Gut Feeling: Sandra Oh And Season 9 Of Grey's

Sandra Oh's contract on Grey's Anatomy expires at the end of season 8 and there's no official word yet on whether she'll sign on for another season or not. So far we know that Sandra has other projects in development, but it all still remains hush-hush.

Sandra's colleague Kevin McKidd was asked about their contract status on Grey's on Twitter yesterday, and if his gut feeling is correct, Sandra Oh will be around for season 9:

Source

Earlier this fall, Sandra's other co-star, Ellen Pompeo, has discussed the possibility of a Grey's Anatomy without Cristina Yang. Read more about that here

Sandra Oh Guests CBC's Radio Talk Show "Q"

Sandra Oh will be a guest on the CBC radio talk show Q guest hosted by her former co-star and friend actor/director Don McKellar.

UPDATE 2: The complete interview is now available online so check it out here. (Click on the September 30 broadcast. Sandra's interview starts at the 25:50 minute mark and is about 20 minutes long.)

The broadcast starts at 10.00 AM ET so go here to listen to it live

UPDATE: Sandra's segment has just aired and here are some of the things she talked about:

• Acting: how she started out and her parents. Her acting career in Canada. 

• Being inducted into Canada's Walk Of Fame.

• A heated debate about being a celebrity and being famous.
(Err, Sandra must hate Sandra Oh News) 

• The challenges of being on a network show where the actors get the script just a few day in advance and playing the same character for seven years.

• Cristina's pregnancy storyline and abortion:

“It came to me as a surprise it wasn’t easy for me to shoot by the time we were deep in to the season and there ended up being lost of conflict it was really tough for me I prefer to know what’s coming.. But at that point it was too late .”

“Many women and girls follow this character and my focus was that the character of Cristina makes the decision to not have a child because she is not made to be a mother and the decision to have an abortion is difficult and effects her husband…”

- Transcript thanks to How We Operate:

Also:

Sandra Oh will be in episode 9 of Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays that airs on CBC. She plays a character called Judy Song who is a well-being coach. It's a well-written, funny character.

She has other projects in the works but doesn't want to talk about them not wanting to jinx them. This is one of those super-secret projects.