Before The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Rachel Brosnahan Tackled a Controversial Role on Grey's Anatomy
This is the one episode of Grey’s Anatomy you need to revisit before binging The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
If there are fans of both the medical drama Grey's Anatomy and the critically acclaimed series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, you might be surprised to find out that before captivating audiences as the quick-witted Miriam Maisel, aka Midge, in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Rachel Brosnahan had an early stint in Grey’s Anatomy.
The actress took on a role that, although brief, was meaningful and controversial. In season 9 of Grey’s Anatomy, Rachel Brosnahan played a character named Brian Weston during the episode titled The Face of Change1.
Rachel played a transgender character who was in Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital to undergo breast removal as part of his gender transition. This role was a stark contrast to the comedic, energetic persona of Midge Maisel that we've come to adore.
Choosing Brian Weston's character was a bold move for the young actress. The character opens our eyes to the struggles that transgender people go through, especially in a medical context. That Grey's Anatomy episode was one of those tear-jerkers that also made us think about important social issues.
Even though Brian's character was only around for one episode, Brosnahan really nailed it with her genuine and captivating performance. It just goes to show how talented she is, going from a serious, thought-provoking role to the fun and lighthearted Midge Maisel in her later work.
As time has passed, Rachel Brosnahan's stint on Grey's Anatomy kind of gets overshadowed, especially with the huge hit that The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has become. Her character on Grey's Anatomy didn't get the spotlight, but it definitely gave us a glimpse of Brosnahan's impressive acting chops.
When you look back, it's pretty cool to see how much Rachel has grown in her acting career, and her part in Grey's Anatomy added this interesting, maybe not-so-famous, twist to her story.
If you are a fan of Grey’s Anatomy, but never watched The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, you might want to rewatch The Face of Change episode, and you may want to give Mrs. Maisel a try. The series is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.