Shonda Rhimes Reveals Which of Her Iconic TV Characters She Thinks Needs to Take Part in a 'Year of Yes'
- - Shonda Rhimes Reveals Which of Her Iconic TV Characters She Thinks Needs to Take Part in a 'Year of Yes'
Charlotte Phillipp, Tabitha ParentJanuary 4, 2026 at 4:00 AM
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Shonda Rhimes Celebrates 10th Anniversary Of Year Of Yes on Oct. 23. -
Shonda Rhimes thinks one of her iconic characters needs a "year of yes"
Rhimes' memoir tells the story of the year that she decided to challenge herself to fight her introverted instincts and say "yes" to everything that scared her
She is responsible for bringing hit shows such as Grey's Anatomy, Bridgerton and How to Get Away with Murder to life
Shonda Rhimes is known for putting her TV characters in some tense situations — but there is a specific one she believes would need a "year of yes" more than the others.
Speaking at the Shonda Rhimes in Conversation with Robin Roberts: Year of Yes at 92NY event this year, the Shondaland founder, 55, reflected on her 2015 memoir, Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person, and revealed which of her television characters would most need to follow her own wisdom.
"Olivia Pope," Rhimes said, referring to the main character of Scandal, played by Kerry Washington.
"She lives by a lot of rules. She's had a tough life," the showrunner continued. "I think she could really benefit from a 'yes.' "
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Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope in 'Scandal.'
Rhimes' memoir tells the story of the year that she decided to challenge herself to fight her introverted instincts and say "yes" to everything that scared her.
Reflecting on the book 10 years after its release, the Grey's Anatomy, Bridgerton and How to Get Away with Murder creator said one of the biggest lessons she learned from the memoir was "saying yes to uncomfortable conversations."
"That one I've carried with me forever," she told Roberts, 65. "I think because I was a person who ran from any kind of conflict. And when you run from conflict, basically you spend a whole bunch of time dealing with the results of the fact that you've not said the thing that needed to be said."
"So now, 10 years later, ... I say the hard thing first, as the first part of the sentence," Rhimes continued.
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Shonda Rhimes and Robin Roberts.
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The entertainment icon further explained that she tries to come "right outta the box" with the things she needs to say.
"I say it, you know, whether it's, 'You can't work here anymore,' or, 'This relationship's not working,' or 'You've asked for too much too many times,' " she said. "Or to my daughter, 'You're not getting a nose ring no matter what you say.' "
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For Rhimes — a mother of three — the 10-year anniversary of Year of Yes also gave her a chance to revisit the book for the first time in a while.
"Just like anybody else who hadn't read the book in a long time, I sat down and I reread what I had written, and my heart went out to that person," she said. "My heart went out to that woman who was so closed off and so shy."
"I could feel the pain that I clearly was feeling at that time, and it made me realize that there's been so much going on in the 10 years since that I almost don't recognize the person at the end of the book," Rhimes added.
She continued, "People say to me that I seem lighter and more just more comfortable in my own skin, I think. And maybe I'm having a lot more fun."
Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person is available to purchase, wherever books are sold.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
