Callie Torres
Calliope Iphigenia "Callie" Torres, M.D. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series Grey's Anatomy, which airs on the ABC in the United States. The character was created by series producer Shonda Rhimes and is portrayed by Sara Ramirez. Introduced in Season 2 as a senior orthopedic resident, Torres initially serves as a love interest for intern George O'Malley. She eventually becomes an attending orthopedic surgeon and was originally contracted as a recurring character, but received star-billing in Season 3.
Torres was first conceived as a romantic interest, and eventual wife, for O'Malley, and was intentionally created to be somewhat disliked by her colleagues. Over time, her character developed deeper storylines, including relationships with plastic surgeon Mark Sloan, cardiothoracic surgeon Erica Hahn, and pediatric surgeon Arizona Robbins, whom she later marries. Her bisexual relationships with O'Malley, Hahn, and Robbins, and her character's development throughout the series, garnered widespread critical acclaim. Torres became one of the longest-running LGBTQ+ characters in television history, appearing in 11 seasons and a total of 239 episodes.
Ramirez's portrayal of Torres was highly praised by television critics, and the character grew significantly in popularity as the series progressed. Ramirez received nominations for several awards for their portrayal, including the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and the ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Television Series. In 2013, AfterEllen.com ranked Torres #7 on their list of "Top 50 Favorite Female TV Characters".
At the end of Season 12, Ramirez departed from the show after 10 years, citing a desire to take a break and pursue other opportunities.
Storylines
Callie Torres is introduced as an orthopedic surgery resident with a romantic interest in intern George O'Malley. The two begin a relationship, and Torres moves into Meredith Grey 's house. However, as their relationship becomes strained, O'Malley confronts her, leading Torres to move into a hotel. Following their breakup, she has a one-night stand with plastic surgeon Mark Sloan, who later becomes a close friend. Torres and O'Malley eventually reconcile and impulsively marry in Las Vegas. Conflicted, O'Malley confides in fellow intern Izzie Stevens about his marriage woes, leading to a drunken one-night stand between the two. Torres, unaware of O'Malley's infidelity, grows suspicious and expresses her desire to have a child. Shortly after, she discovers O'Malley's affair, leading to the end of their marriage. Professionally, Torres excels when she is appointed Chief Resident but soon struggles with the role and is eventually demoted.Torres then forms a friendship with Erica Hahn, the hospital's new chief of cardiothoracic surgery, which blossoms into a romantic relationship after Hahn kisses her in an elevator. Both women are inexperienced with same-sex relationships, and Torres grapples with her bisexuality. Hahn displayed an attitude of biphobia towards Torres after they had sex, not understanding why Torres could feel pleasure with both men and women. To clarify her own feelings about bisexual sex, Torres ended up cheating on Hahn with Sloan. Although initially forgiven, Hahn leaves Seattle Grace after a work-related argument, ending their relationship. Shortly thereafter, pediatric surgeon Arizona Robbins enters Torres' life, and they begin dating. Their relationship faces challenges when Torres comes out to her father, Carlos, who disowns her, cutting her off both financially and emotionally. When Torres is denied an attending position, she publicly rebukes Chief Richard Webber and resigns, taking a job at Mercy West Hospital. When the two hospitals merge, she is promoted to attending orthopedic surgeon. Her father eventually accepts her sexuality, but when Torres expresses her desire for children, Robbins disagrees, leading to their temporary breakup.
After a gunman wreaks havoc at the hospital, Torres and Robbins reconcile, with Robbins agreeing to have children. When Robbins is offered a prestigious grant to treat children in Malawi, Torres reluctantly agrees to move with her for three years. However, her lack of enthusiasm causes Robbins to break up with her and leave alone. Heartbroken, Torres moves in with Sloan, leading to another one-night stand. Robbins later returns, apologizing and asking for forgiveness, but Torres initially rebuffs her. Soon after, Torres discovers she is pregnant with Sloan's child. Robbins agrees to raise the baby, though she is uneasy about Sloan's permanent involvement in their lives. While on a trip, Robbins proposes to Torres, but before Torres can respond, they are in a head-on collision with a truck, leaving Torres severely injured. Obstetrician-gynecologist Addison Montgomery performs an emergency surgery to save Torres' life and deliver their premature baby. Both survive, and Torres agrees to marry Robbins. After recovering from her injuries, Torres navigates family tensions, particularly from her mother, who disapproves of the wedding and their daughter, Sofia. Despite these challenges, Torres and Robbins marry in a garden ceremony officiated by Miranda Bailey.
Their relationship is later tested after a plane crash that claims the lives of Sloan and Lexie Grey. Torres makes the difficult decision to have Alex Karev amputate Robbins' leg to save her life, which causes deep resentment in their relationship. As the hospital faces bankruptcy, Torres, along with Robbins and other survivors, purchase the hospital with help from the Harper Avery Foundation, becoming part of the hospital's new board of directors. Although their professional lives stabilize, Robbins' infidelity with Lauren Boswell during a storm further strains their marriage. Torres discovers the affair, and the two have a heated confrontation, revealing that Robbins has never forgiven Torres for consenting to the amputation of her leg. This leads to their separation, with Torres moving in with Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd while navigating co-parenting with Robbins.
After a failed lawsuit and reconciliation efforts, Torres and Robbins buy a new home together and attempt to have a second child. However, Torres learns that she cannot carry another pregnancy due to complications from previous surgeries. Despite attempting therapy, Torres eventually decides to end their marriage, feeling suffocated. Torres then begins dating Penny Blake, who is later revealed to have been one of Shepherd's doctors on the day of his death. This revelation leads to tension with Torres’ friends and colleagues at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
When Torres plans to move to New York with Blake and take their daughter Sofia with her, Robbins sues for sole custody. Torres ultimately loses the court case and breaks up with Blake. Later, Robbins offers a shared custody agreement, allowing Torres to relocate to New York while ensuring Sofia spends time with both parents. Torres is occasionally referenced after her departure, and at the end of Season 14, Robbins also leaves Seattle to move to New York, and it is implied that the two reconciled after Torres and Blake had broken up.
Development
Casting & Creation
Ramirez's Broadway performance in Spamalot garnered the attention of ABC executives, who offered Ramirez a role on any ABC television series. Ramirez chose Grey's Anatomy. Reflecting on their initial audition, Ramirez explained that the producers liked them and were eager to add them to the show, though they were unsure initially about what role Ramirez would play. Ramirez expressed amazement at how rare it was for executives to offer such a unique opportunity, recalling that they said, "Pick a show, any show." Shonda Rhimes elaborated on the process, stating, "I was looking for a girlfriend for George, but it was in the infancy stages, so I had no idea what I was looking for." Rhimes then built the character of Callie Torres around Ramirez after their meeting. Initially, the character was given recurring status during the second season, but Ramirez was promoted to series regular in the third season, alongside Eric Dane, who portrayed Mark Sloan. Ramirez discusses maintaining relationships with co-stars:Characterization
The American Broadcasting Company described Callie Torres as "driven," "determined," and "outgoing", while also noting her weaknesses as "defensive" and "impulsive". Ramirez characterized their role as someone who "appears to be a certain way, but has some very complex issues going on behind the scenes. She seems to be a very strong personality, someone who really believes in herself and has worked very hard to get where she is. She's very competitive but does have a sense of self, so she doesn't need to win all the time."At the time of Torres's initial appearance, she was somewhat disliked by fans, largely due to her perceived interference in the relationship between George O'Malley and Meredith Grey. When asked about the fan reaction, Ramirez commented, "You do run across a lot of people who are extremely invested in that storyline. Obviously, I've heard some negative stuff."
Towards the end of the fourth season, Torres grew closer to cardiothoracic surgeon Erica Hahn, forming a relationship that fans affectionately dubbed "Eri-Cal", and later referred to as "Callica" by Michael Ausiello of Entertainment Weekly. Rhimes explained that, "Callie and Erica have an undeniable chemistry, and watching the story unfold is something the writers are looking forward to. I wanted to illuminate their relationship in the same way we do all relationships on the show — it will be funny, sweet, honest, and a little bit dirty."File:Sara Ramirez4.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.77|Torres served as the primary vocalist in the show's musical episode, "Song Beneath the Song", being described as "amazing" by fellow cast member, Kevin McKidd.
Rhimes explained that in developing the relationship between Torres and Hahn, the writers wanted it to be "real – not some stunt to get people talking." She added, "We wanted to see what would happen if a woman suddenly had feelings for another woman." The two characters shared a kiss in the Season 4 finale, which D. Williams of AfterEllen.com noted as significant: "Callie and Erica became the only regular lesbian/bisexual female characters currently on network television. This is also the first time that two regular characters on a network show have begun a lesbian romance, as opposed to one becoming involved with a new lesbian character introduced expressly for that relationship."
Before continuing with the storyline, the show's producers consulted with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to ensure they maintained realism throughout. Trish Doolan, star of April's Shower, was invited to consult in the workshop sessions, noting, "They were really wanting to be truthful to the two characters they're focusing on in the woman-woman relationship." Nikki Weiss, another consultant, added, "They didn't want to stereotype anything either, and write from a place where they didn't understand it.... I don't think they did it as a stunt to get people back to watching after the strike. I really think that they wanted to develop these two characters, and you could see a closeness with them way before they ever decided any kind of . I think they just have a chemistry together, as actresses, too. You could tell that in the room."
In the show's fifth season, Torres began a relationship with Arizona Robbins. Fans coined the relationship "Calzona". Rhimes praised the chemistry between Callie and Arizona, even comparing it to the show's primary couple, Grey and Derek Shepherd, stating, "They have that little thing that makes you want to watch them." In the episode "An Honest Mistake", Robbins initially rejected Torres, citing Torres's "inexperience" as a reason for the rejection. Series writer Peter Nowalk offered the insight:
The couple ultimately decided to begin a relationship, but they experienced difficulties before eventually reuniting. Rhimes commented on their reconciliation: "I love with Arizona... I like that they make me feel hopeful about love." Rhimes also expressed her thoughts on their relationship during Season 6, stating: "I would like to see Callie happily in a long-term relationship. We have so much to explore with them, because we barely know anything about ."
Callie and Arizona had a five-year relationship, which culminated in their marriage during Season 7 and ended up in divorce in Season 11. Callie later began a new relationship with Penny Blake and decided to move to New York with her in the Season 12 finale. Reflecting on Ramirez's unexpected departure, Rhimes explained, "This one was different because it wasn't a big planned thing. I had a different plan going, and when Sara came in and said, 'I really need to take this break', I was lucky that we'd shot the end of the season with her going to New York."