Shonda Rhimes Is an Unstoppable Force, and Here's Why

When you think about Shonda Rhimes, a lot of things might come to mind. If you're a fan of one or more of her three excellent ABC shows, you might say she's making huge strides for gender and racial equality. If you've done your research, you'd know the road to Shondaland, her production company, began with some pretty surprising projects. If you've been following her recent interactions on Twitter or you've witnessed her candor in recent interviews, one thing's certain: she's being her true, brilliant, authentic self. Keep scrolling for six moments where she was a brilliant badass, and she wasn't even sorry.

01
She Fiercely Stands Up For Herself and Her Work
ABC

She Fiercely Stands Up For Herself and Her Work

Shonda wasn't afraid to express her opinion when The New York Times referred to her as an "angry black woman."

Apparently we can be "angry black women" together, because I didn't know I was one either! @petenowa #LearnSomethingNewEveryday

— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) September 19, 2014

Final thing: (then I am gonna do some yoga): how come I am not "an angry black woman" the many times Meredith (or Addison!) rants? @nytimes

— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) September 19, 2014

Wait. I'm" angry" AND a ROMANCE WRITER?!! I'm going to need to put down the internet and go dance this one out. Because ish is getting real.

— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) September 19, 2014



What's more, while the industry treats her diverse, eclectic casting as groundbreaking, Shonda thinks it's nothing to sneeze at. In an earlier interview with The New York Times (you know, before they called her an "angry black woman"), she said, “I think it’s sad, and weird, and strange that it’s still a thing. It’s 2013. Somebody else needs to get their act together. And, oh, by the way, it works. Ratings-wise, it works.”

02
She Has a Zero-Tolerance Policy For Haters
Getty | Frederick M. Brown

She Has a Zero-Tolerance Policy For Haters

This exchange between Shonda and a homophobic viewer doesn't even really need an introduction.

. @Dabdelhakiem There are no GAY scenes. There are scenes with people in them.

— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) October 19, 2014

@Dabdelhakiem If you are suddenly discovering that Shondaland shows have scenes involving people who are gay, you are LATE TO THE PARTY.

— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) October 19, 2014

. @Dabdelhakiem If u use the phrase "gay scenes", u are not only LATE to the party but also NOT INVITED to the party. Bye Felicia. #oneLOVE

— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) October 19, 2014

03
She Also Has a Zero-Tolerance Policy For Assh*les
The Hollywood Reporter

She Also Has a Zero-Tolerance Policy For Assh*les

In October, Shonda's interview with The Hollywood Reporter brought to light her specific feelings about the difficult people she's encountered over the years, namely, Katherine Heigl during Grey's Anatomy.

When referring to how things are going with the production of Scandal, she revealed, "There are no Heigls in this situation. I don't put up with bullsh*t or nasty people. I don't have time for it."

She also spoke about being given the title of "the most powerful black female showrunner in Hollywood." She responded, "They wouldn't say that someone is 'the most powerful white male showrunner in Hollywood.' I find race and gender to be terribly important; they're terribly important to who I am. But there's something about the need for everybody else to spend time talking about it . . . that pisses me off."

04
She's Filled to the Brim With Wisdom and Advice
Twitter | dartmouth

She's Filled to the Brim With Wisdom and Advice

Earlier this year, Shonda gave the commencement speech for Dartmouth's 2014 graduating class. There were so many incredible quotes, but here are a few of our favorites.

On being yourself: "You know what I wanted to be? I wanted to be Nobel Prize Winning Author Toni Morrison. That was my dream . . . guess what? I couldn’t be Nobel Prize winning author Toni Morrison. Because Toni Morrison already had that job and she wasn’t interested in giving it up . . . I could dream about being Toni Morrison. Or I could do. At film school, I discovered an entirely new way of telling stories. A way that suited me. A way that brought me joy. A way that flipped this switch in my brain and changed the way I saw the world. Years later, I had dinner with Toni Morrison. All she wanted to talk about was Grey's Anatomy. That never would have happened if I hadn’t stopped dreaming of becoming her and gotten busy becoming myself."

On how to stop dreaming and start doing: "Dreams are lovely. But they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral, pretty. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It's hard work that makes things happen. It's hard work that creates change . . . You want to be a writer? A writer is someone who writes every day, so start writing. You don't have a job? Get one. Any job. Don't sit at home waiting for the magical opportunity. Who are you? Prince William? No. Get a job. Go to work. Do something until you can do something else."

05
She Creates Undeniably Incredible TV
ABC

She Creates Undeniably Incredible TV

Shonda Rhimes shows never fail to elicit a laugh, tug at your heartstrings, draw you to the edge of your seat, and ultimately, make you feel like Shonda just gets you. On a spiritual level. We've discovered the common thread between all her shows, but the most obvious similarity is their brilliance.

06
She Totally Wrote Crossroads
Paramount Pictures

She Totally Wrote Crossroads

You know what else she wrote? Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement and the critically acclaimed Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.