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Thursday character profile: Izzie Stevens
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Name: Isobel "Izzie" Stevens
Played By: Katherine Heigl
Debut Episode: Season One, Episode One: "A Hard Day's Night"
Occupation: Surgical resident at Seattle Grace Hospital
Family: Izzie was raised by her single mother in a trailer park in a rural town in Washington and has no siblings. Izzie and her mother have a loving relationship, but after becoming pregnant and giving up her own child for adoption as a teenager, Izzie realized she needed to distance herself from her mother and her hometown in order to create a better life for herself.
Romantic History: Izzie was immediately attracted to fellow intern Alex Karev when she first arrived at Seattle Grace and they quickly began dating. But Alex disappointed Izzie by sleeping with a nurse and telling her he wasn't ready to commit to a relationship. Izzie took her mind off Alex by exploring her strong feelings towards Denny Duquette, a charming but terminally ill patient in need of a heart transplant.
Despite warnings from everyone else in the hospital, Izzie let her feelings for Denny intensify far beyond what was appropriate for a doctor/patient relationship. As Denny's conditioned worsened, Izzie became desperate to save him, even going so far as to cut the wire on the LVAD machine that was keeping him alive in order to move him up on the waiting list for a new heart. Her risky and unethical plan seemed to work. Denny received a successful heart transplant, and proposed to Izzie following the surgery. She accepted the proposal, but their happiness only lasted a few hours. Denny died from a blood clot as Izzie was on her way to visit him in his hospital room.
Izzie spent a long time grieving for Denny and did not consider dating anyone else until she woke up in bed with her best friend, George O'Malley, after a night of heavy drinking. George was married to Dr. Callie Torres at the time, and he and Izzie tried their best to keep their indiscretion a secret. But George and Izzie both found it difficult to let go of their feelings for each other, and George eventually left Callie for Izzie. But once they were free to date, the couple found it impossible to recreate the chemistry of that first drunken night together, and realized they were never meant to be anything more than friends.
After her relationship with George failed, Izzie eventually found herself growing close to Alex again. Having just gone through a traumatic break-up of his own, Alex was reluctant to get close to another woman. But Izzie broke down his defenses by promising she'd always be there for him, and Alex was eventually won over. But their relationship faced an unexpected challenge when Izzie was diagnosed with melanoma that had spread to her brain and other internal organs. Alex showed newfound maturity by caring for Izzie as she began to undergo her cancer treatment. When a second tumor was found in her brain that Derek didn't think he could operate on, Alex married Izzie so she could have the dream wedding she'd always wanted. But their marriage was quickly put to the test when a risky brain surgery appeared to leave Izzie with no short term memory. Alex frantically tried to help her by leaving post-it notes around her bed to help jog her memory. Sensing his tension, Izzie gave him permission to air his frustrations since she'd forget it in a few minutes anyway. Alex lashed out at her, and this was what it took to kick start her memory. When Alex found out that Izzie's memory was back, he ran to her and apologized. She immediately forgave him, but then collapsed in his arms and began to flatline. Season five left off with Alex sobbing at Izzie's bedside while their friends fought to save her.
Friendships: After moving in with Meredith in season one, Izzie developed a deep emotional bond with their other roommate, George. Their friendship has seen many ups and downs, especially during George's rocky marriage to Callie, but he and Izzie have always been there for each other when it mattered most. When Izzie nearly stumbled walking down the aisle at her wedding, George got up from his seat to help her and give her away to Alex. Later, when Izzie couldn't decide whether or not to undergo the risky brain surgery that had the potential to take her memory away, George was the only one able to help figure out what to do.
Despite sharing a house, Izzie has always felt a excluded by Meredith's close bond with Cristina. Hard-nosed Cristina just naturally clashes with Izzie's highly emotional personality. But when Izzie realized she had cancer, she chose Cristina as a confidant, knowing that Cristina was the only one who wouldn't let emotions get in the way of helping her fight the cancer. But it didn't take Cristina long to realize that Izzie needed more emotional support, and she told Izzie's secret to Alex. The two women had finally reached common ground and gained a mutual respect for each other, and Izzie thanked Cristina by asking her to be made-of-honor in her wedding.
Career Milestones: Izzie's internship at Seattle Grace started off strong, but she quit the program after Denny's death. She was urged by her friends and mentors to come back to the hospital, and was eventually let back in but on a probationary basis. The probation was lifted when Izzie was need to pitch in after a ferry crash, and she proved herself a capable surgeon by her daring rescue of a man who was crushed underneath a car on the ferry. While she's never been as ruthlessly ambitious as some of her fellow residents, she's still proven herself to be a capable surgeon, and her ability to emotionally connect with patients has proven itself to be as much of an asset as a liability.
Memorable Moments:
Season One, Episode Four "No Man's Land": Izzie strips in front of the other interns in the locker room to prove she isn't ashamed working as a lingerie model to pay for medical school.
Season Two, Episode 15 "Break On Through": Izzie reveals to a pregnant teenaged patient that she gave up a baby for adoption as a teenager.
Season Two, Episode 27 "Losing My Religion": Izzie quits the surgical program after losing Denny.
Season Three, Episodes 11-12 "Six Days (Parts 1 and 2)": Izzie decides to donate the money Denny left her to the hospital.
Season Five, Episode 22 "What A Difference A Day Makes": After planning the perfect wedding for Meredith and Derek from her hospital bed, Izzie finds herself and Alex stepping in for the bride and groom.
For more 'Grey's Anatomy' character profiles, check back every Tuesday and Thursday. Or check out our previous profiles of Cristina Yang, Derek Shephed, and Meredith Grey.
Photos: ABC
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