Shonda Lynn Rhimes (born January 13, 1970) is a television producer and writer. Rhimes is the creator, head writer, executive producer and showrunner of the medical drama television series Grey's Anatomy, its spin-off Private Practice and the political thriller series Scandal.

In May 2007, Rhimes was named one of Time magazine's 100 People Who Help Shape The World. Rhimes was an executive producer for the medical drama series Off the Map which aired on ABC for one season in 2011. Rhimes is executive producer of ABC's legal series How to Get Away with Murder, which debuted September 25, 2014.

Early life

Rhimes was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Vera P. (Cain), a university administrator, and Ilee Rhimes, Jr., a college professor. Her mother attended college while raising six children and earned a PhD in educational administration in 1991; her father, who holds an MBA, is currently the chief information officer at the University of Southern California.

Rhimes lived in Park Forest South (now University Park, Illinois), with two older brothers and three older sisters. She has said she exhibited an early affinity for storytelling and that her time spent as a hospital volunteer while in high school sparked an interest in hospital environments.