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| Callie Torres | |
|---|---|
| Grey's Anatomy character | |
 TheSeason 9 Promotional Photo ofSara Ramirez asDr. Callie Torres | |
| First appearance | "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" (2.19) February 26, 2006 (as recurring cast) "Time Has Come Today" (3.01) September 21, 2006 (as series regular) |
| Last appearance | "Family Affair" (12.24) May 19, 2016 |
| Created by | Shonda Rhimes |
| Portrayed by | Sara Ramirez |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Calliope Iphegenia Torres |
| Title | Former Chief of Orthopedic Surgery Former Board Director at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital M.D. |
| Occupation | Former Chief of Orthopedic Surgery,Attendingorthopedic surgeon at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital |
| Family | Carlos Torres (father) Lucia Torres (mother) Aria (maternal half-sister) |
| Spouse | |
| Significantother | Alex Karev (one night stand) Mark Sloan (Best Friend, Ex-Lover, deceased) Erica Hahn (dated) Penelope Blake (ex-girlfriend) |
| Children | Sofia Robbins Sloan Torres |
| Religion | Catholicism |
Calliope Iphigenia "Callie" Torres,M.D. is a fictional character from themedical drama television seriesGrey's Anatomy, which airs on theABC in the United States. The character was created by series producerShonda Rhimes and is portrayed bySara Ramirez. Introduced inSeason 2 as a seniororthopedicresident, Torres initially serves as a love interest for internGeorge O'Malley (T. R. Knight). She eventually becomes anattending orthopedic surgeon and was originally contracted as a recurring character, but receivedstar-billing inSeason 3.
Torres was first conceived as a romantic interest, and eventual wife, for O'Malley, and was intentionally created to be somewhat disliked by her colleagues. Over time, her character developed deeper storylines, including relationships withplastic surgeonMark Sloan (Eric Dane),cardiothoracic surgeonErica Hahn (Brooke Smith), andpediatric surgeonArizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw), whom she later marries. Herbisexual relationships with O'Malley, Hahn, and Robbins, and her character's development throughout the series, garnered widespread critical acclaim. Torres became one of the longest-running LGBTQ+ characters in television history, appearing in 11 seasons and a total of 239 episodes.[a]
Ramirez's portrayal of Torres was highly praised by television critics, and the character grew significantly in popularity as the series progressed. Ramirez received nominations for several awards for their portrayal, including theNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and theALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Television Series. In 2013,AfterEllen.com ranked Torres #7 on their list of "Top 50 Favorite Female TV Characters".
At the end ofSeason 12, Ramirez departed from the show after 10 years, citing a desire to take a break and pursue other opportunities.
Callie Torres is introduced as anorthopedic surgeryresident with a romantic interest in internGeorge O'Malley (T. R. Knight). The two begin a relationship, and Torres moves intoMeredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo)'s house. However, as their relationship becomes strained, O'Malley confronts her, leading Torres to move into a hotel. Following their breakup, she has a one-night stand with plastic surgeonMark Sloan (Eric Dane), who later becomes a close friend. Torres and O'Malley eventually reconcile and impulsively marry inLas Vegas. Conflicted, O'Malley confides in fellow internIzzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) about his marriage woes, leading to a drunkenone-night stand between the two. Torres, unaware of O'Malley's infidelity, grows suspicious and expresses her desire to have a child. Shortly after, she discovers O'Malley's affair, leading to the end of their marriage. Professionally, Torres excels when she is appointed Chief Resident but soon struggles with the role and is eventually demoted.
Torres then forms a friendship withErica Hahn (Brooke Smith), the hospital's new chief ofcardiothoracic surgery, which blossoms into a romantic relationship after Hahn kisses her in an elevator. Both women are inexperienced with same-sex relationships, and Torres grapples with her bisexuality. Hahn displayed an attitude of biphobia towards Torres after they had sex, not understanding why Torres could feel pleasure with both men and women. To clarify her own feelings about bisexual sex, Torres ended up cheating on Hahn with Sloan. Although initially forgiven, Hahn leaves Seattle Grace after a work-related argument, ending their relationship. Shortly thereafter, pediatric surgeonArizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw) enters Torres' life, and they begin dating. Their relationship faces challenges when Torres comes out to her father, Carlos (Héctor Elizondo), who disowns her, cutting her off both financially and emotionally. When Torres is denied anattending position, she publicly rebukes ChiefRichard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) and resigns, taking a job at Mercy West Hospital. When the two hospitals merge, she is promoted to attending orthopedic surgeon. Her father eventually accepts her sexuality, but when Torres expresses her desire for children, Robbins disagrees, leading to their temporary breakup.
After agunman wreaks havoc at the hospital, Torres and Robbins reconcile, with Robbins agreeing to have children. When Robbins is offered a prestigious grant to treat children inMalawi, Torres reluctantly agrees to move with her for three years. However, her lack of enthusiasm causes Robbins to break up with her and leave alone. Heartbroken, Torres moves in with Sloan, leading to another one-night stand. Robbins later returns, apologizing and asking for forgiveness, but Torres initially rebuffs her. Soon after, Torres discovers she is pregnant with Sloan's child. Robbins agrees to raise the baby, though she is uneasy about Sloan's permanent involvement in their lives. While on a trip, Robbins proposes to Torres, but before Torres can respond, they are in ahead-on collision with a truck, leaving Torres severely injured.Obstetrician-gynecologistAddison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) performs an emergency surgery to save Torres' life and deliver theirpremature baby. Both survive, and Torres agrees to marry Robbins. After recovering from her injuries, Torres navigates family tensions, particularly from her mother (Gina Gallego), who disapproves of the wedding and their daughter, Sofia. Despite these challenges, Torres and Robbins marry in a garden ceremony officiated byMiranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson).
Their relationship is later tested after a plane crash that claims the lives of Sloan andLexie Grey (Chyler Leigh). Torres makes the difficult decision to haveAlex Karev (Justin Chambers) amputate Robbins' leg to save her life, which causes deep resentment in their relationship. As the hospital faces bankruptcy, Torres, along with Robbins and other survivors, purchase the hospital with help from the Harper Avery Foundation, becoming part of the hospital's new board of directors. Although their professional lives stabilize, Robbins' infidelity with Lauren Boswell (Hilarie Burton) during a storm further strains their marriage. Torres discovers the affair, and the two have a heated confrontation, revealing that Robbins has never forgiven Torres for consenting to the amputation of her leg. This leads to their separation, with Torres moving in with Meredith Grey andDerek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) while navigating co-parenting with Robbins.
After a failed lawsuit and reconciliation efforts, Torres and Robbins buy a new home together and attempt to have a second child. However, Torres learns that she cannot carry another pregnancy due to complications from previous surgeries. Despite attempting therapy, Torres eventually decides to end their marriage, feeling suffocated. Torres then begins dating Penny Blake (Samantha Sloyan), who is later revealed to have been one of Shepherd's doctors on the day of his death. This revelation leads to tension with Torres’ friends and colleagues at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
When Torres plans to move toNew York with Blake and take their daughter Sofia with her, Robbins sues forsole custody. Torres ultimately loses the court case and breaks up with Blake. Later, Robbins offers a shared custody agreement, allowing Torres torelocate to New York while ensuring Sofia spends time with both parents. Torres is occasionally referenced after her departure, and at the end ofSeason 14, Robbins alsoleaves Seattle to move to New York, and it is implied that the two reconciled after Torres and Blake had broken up.
As a Latin person, I was really proud to see the ethnic people on the show. I thought, Wow, there are no color limits. Nobody's making comments about how there are African-Americans on the show and an Asian on the show. However, I did think, Where's the Latin person?
Ramirez'sBroadway performance inSpamalot garnered the attention of ABC executives, who offered Ramirez a role on any ABC television series. Ramirez choseGrey's Anatomy.[3] Reflecting on their initial audition, Ramirez explained that the producers liked them and were eager to add them to the show, though they were unsure initially about what role Ramirez would play.[2] Ramirez expressed amazement at how rare it was for executives to offer such a unique opportunity, recalling that they said, "Pick a show, any show."[4]Shonda Rhimes elaborated on the process, stating, "I was looking for a girlfriend for George, but it was in the infancy stages, so I had no idea what I was looking for." Rhimes then built the character of Callie Torres around Ramirez after their meeting.[5] Initially, the character was given recurring status during thesecond season, but Ramirez was promoted to series regular in thethird season, alongsideEric Dane, who portrayedMark Sloan.[6] Ramirez discusses maintaining relationships with co-stars:
The weird thing about working in television is that you only see the people that you're in scenes with. It's not like you're all running around the set together. So if you're going to hang out together, you kind of have to make an effort. And I think people have families, people have lives.[2]
While we are disheartened that the burgeoning relationship between Callie and Erica has come to an end, the character of Callie, who has now been identified as a bisexual woman by show creator Shonda Rhimes, remains and her journey continues.
TheAmerican Broadcasting Company (ABC) described Callie Torres as "driven," "determined," and "outgoing", while also noting her weaknesses as "defensive" and "impulsive".[8] Ramirez characterized their role as someone who "appears to be a certain way, but has some very complex issues going on behind the scenes. She seems to be a very strong personality, someone who really believes in herself and has worked very hard to get where she is. She's very competitive but does have a sense of self, so she doesn't need to win all the time."[9]
At the time of Torres's initial appearance, she was somewhat disliked by fans, largely due to her perceived interference in the relationship betweenGeorge O'Malley (T. R. Knight) andMeredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo). When asked about the fan reaction, Ramirez commented, "You do run across a lot of people who are extremely invested in that storyline. Obviously, I've heard some negative stuff."[2]
Towards the end of thefourth season, Torres grew closer tocardiothoracic surgeonErica Hahn (Brooke Smith), forming a relationship that fans affectionately dubbed "Eri-Cal", and later referred to as "Callica" byMichael Ausiello ofEntertainment Weekly.[10] Rhimes explained that, "Callie and Erica have an undeniable chemistry, and watching the story unfold is something the writers are looking forward to. I wanted to illuminate their relationship in the same way we do all relationships on the show — it will be funny, sweet, honest, and a little bit dirty."[11]
Rhimes explained that in developing the relationship between Torres and Hahn, the writers wanted it to be "real – not some stunt to get people talking." She added, "We wanted to see what would happen if a woman suddenly had feelings for another woman."[13] The two characters shared a kiss in the Season 4 finale, which D. Williams ofAfterEllen.com noted as significant: "Callie and Erica became the only regular lesbian/bisexual female characters currently on network television. This is also the first time that two regular characters on a network show have begun a lesbian romance, as opposed to one becoming involved with a new lesbian character introduced expressly for that relationship."[14]
Before continuing with the storyline, the show's producers consulted with theGay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) to ensure they maintained realism throughout.[14] Trish Doolan, star ofApril's Shower, was invited to consult in the workshop sessions, noting, "They were really wanting to be truthful to the two characters they're focusing on in the woman-woman relationship."[12] Nikki Weiss, another consultant, added, "They didn't want to stereotype anything either, and write from a place where they didn't understand it. ... I don't think they did it as a stunt to get people back to watching after the strike. I really think that they wanted to develop these two characters, and you could see a closeness with them way before they ever decided any kind of [romantic relationship]. I think they just have a chemistry together, as actresses, too. You could tell that in the room."[12]
In the show'sfifth season, Torres began a relationship withArizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw).[15] Fans coined the relationship "Calzona" (forCallie + Arizona).[16] Rhimes praised the chemistry between Callie and Arizona, even comparing it to the show's primary couple, Grey andDerek Shepherd (played byPatrick Dempsey),[17] stating, "They have that little thing that makes you want to watch them."[18] In the episode "An Honest Mistake", Robbins initially rejected Torres, citing Torres's "inexperience" as a reason for the rejection. Series writerPeter Nowalk offered the insight:
I totally understand why Arizona wouldn't want to date a newborn. It's like getting aFreshman as yourPhysics lab partner even though you're aSenior who not only knows theLaws of Motion but has mastered them in ways that would rock that Freshman's world. Which is not to say the Freshman won't grow to be really good at Physics, or that Callie won't catch up to Arizona on the lesbian front, it's simply that Arizona might not have the patience to wait that long.
— Peter Nowalk, Grey Matter[19]
The couple ultimately decided to begin a relationship, but they experienced difficulties before eventually reuniting. Rhimes commented on their reconciliation: "I love [Callie] with Arizona... I like that they make me feel hopeful about love."[20] Rhimes also expressed her thoughts on their relationship duringSeason 6, stating: "I would like to see Callie happily in a long-term relationship. We have so much to explore with them, because we barely know anything about [Arizona]."[21]
Callie and Arizona had a five-year relationship, which culminated in their marriage duringSeason 7 and ended up in divorce inSeason 11. Callie later began a new relationship with Penny Blake (Samantha Sloyan) and decided to move to New York with her in theSeason 12 finale. Reflecting on Ramirez's unexpected departure, Rhimes explained, "This one was different because it wasn't a big planned thing. I had a different plan going, and when Sara came in and said, 'I really need to take this break', I was lucky that we'd shot the end of the season with her going to New York."[22]
What was truly revolutionary about Callie is that she was never defined by any single aspect of herself. She was curvy, Latina, and bisexual, and she was also a funny, frustrating, and lovable doctor with an amazing career and strong friendships. Callie was never expected to be perfect. She was allowed to be as messy as every other character on Grey's Anatomy, and, for everyone who identified with her as a whole or in part, it was a huge relief to see this woman who represented so many perspectives be allowed to just be awesome.
Maureen Ryan from theChicago Tribune was critical of Torres' initial character development. Reviewing theSeason 3 premiere, she wrote that the writers should give up on Callie, explaining that they had made her "far too obviously the 'weird girl', but there's nothing underneath her brusque persona."[24] However, Callie's marriage to O'Malley was well-received; Staci Krause ofIGN wrote: "Their relationship has been a roller-coaster, and it was nice to see this turn of events, as she really is a perfect contrast to George."[25]
Discussing the character in terms of her relationship with Erica Hahn, Williams was largely positive, noting that: "The storyline offered both the dramaGrey's is known for and a truthfulness network television has rarely achieved when it comes to lesbian relationships."[14] Trish Doolan and Nikki Weiss, invited byGLAAD to consult withGrey's Anatomy producers on the storyline, praised the effort put into researching the issue by the writers and actors involved. However, they were more critical of the scene where Hahn kissed Callie in front of Mark Sloan in an elevator. Weiss commented: "I just felt like, if they really cared about each other, I don't think they would do that as a stunt. That seemed a little, I don't know, forced. ... [It] was more like a conquest, like he could have [Hahn] too or something."[14]
LGBT websiteAfterEllen.com agreed with this view, criticizing how the scene was edited to repeatedly cut to Sloan's point of view, seemingly "privileging the male-gaze."[14] Nonetheless, Torres was included inAfterEllen's list of the Top 50 Lesbian & Bisexual Characters, ranking at #6[26] and in their Top 50 Favorite Female TV Characters.[27] The character was also listed inWetpaint's "10 Hottest TV Doctors on TV".[28] Later,AfterEllen.com ranked Torres #7 in their list of "Top 50 Favorite Female TV Characters".[29]
Commenting on Hahn's abrupt departure from the show, Dorothy Snarker, writing forAfterEllen.com, expressed caution regarding Torres and Robbins' budding relationship: "I ... can't help but be wary of how theGrey's writers will handle this relationship. Jessica [Capshaw] has proven lovely and likable in her brief screen-time so far. But it's not how the romance starts, but what happens next that really matters."[16]
Regarding the series'musical episode, Nicole Golden ofTV Fanatic praised Ramirez's rendition ofSnow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" as "amazing" and referred to their performance inKate Havnevik's "Grace" as "beautiful".[30] Margaret Lyons ofNew York Magazine appreciated the evolution of Bailey and Torres's friendship in the first half ofSeason 9, describing it as "the one bright-spot": "They joke, they tease each other, they offer sage love advice to one another, now that they're both on their second marriages."[31]
Ramirez's portrayal of Callie Torres earned them high critical acclaim and several prestigious nominations and awards. In 2006, they were a part of the ensemble cast that won theSatellite Award for Best Cast – Television Series.[32] They were also a part of the ensemble cast that won theScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in2007, for which they were also nominated in2008.[33][34] They were nominated for theALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Television Series in 2007 and 2008.[35] In 2011, Ramirez earned a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series at the42nd NAACP Image Awards.[36]
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