It’s difficult to say if Shonda Rhimes and the Grey’s Anatomy writers were aware of how important the McNicknames would turn out to be in the series. Of all, McDreamy was the one who kicked off the whole thing, as Cristina gave Derek Shepherd the alias when he and Meredith started their epic love affair. Following that, the nicknames just kept coming, and Mark Sloan, Derek’s former best buddy, soon adopted the moniker McSteamy. Throughout Mark’s eight seasons on the ABC hit, the term followed him, much to the actor’s semi-regret, and even ten years after his character was killed off.
Although McSteamy wasn’t the most awful nickname ever given out—McDreamy himself has variously been referred to as McDreary and McBastard in less-than-favorable circumstances—Eric Dane never quite felt that he could embrace it. He agreed when The Daily Beast questioned if it was strange to be objectified in that way, adding:
Yes, since I’ve never experienced that. Although I never felt like I could really embrace the role, it wasn’t terrible. I’m not that man at all. John Sloan? He is not me.
Despite not accurately describing the actor, the term fit the character’s personality rather well. When Addison Montgomery was still married to Derek, Mark had an affair with her. Mark also had other hookups while working at the hospital, including Callie Torres, Teddy Altman, Reed from Mercy West, and even Derek’s sister Amelia.
Lexie Grey, Meredith’s sister, may have been Mark’s ultimate goal, but that didn’t shield him from the McReputation he had established for himself. The interviewer said that this reputation fit the actor like an ill-fitting suit. In reply, Eric Dane said:
I like that. Yeah. A suit but the sleeves are too short and you’re constantly tugging at the sleeves trying to fix them.
I believe some nicknames fit their actors more than others. When Richard Flood left Grey’s Anatomy this season, there were undoubtedly those fans who were disappointed to see McWidow go because Chris O’Donnell was rather well-liked as McVet. Given that Nick Marsh, played by Scott Speedman, was introduced to the show back in Season 14 as both a transplant surgeon and recipient of a donated kidney, I’m still unsure about the nickname given to Meredith’s current (and potentially final?) love interest. I suppose it’s superior to McKidney.
For what it’s worth, Eric Dane added that he’s not like his Euphoria character Cal Jacobs, who doesn’t have a nice moniker but acknowledges that he is dubbed a “Zaddy” even though he “truly knows what it means.” He exposed everything during a stressful speech in Season 2 with his penis, or at least his prosthetic, hanging out. This wasn’t even the first time, as he had previously spoken about the penile prosthetics utilised and the graphic male nudity in the series.
With an HBO Max membership, you can view Seasons 1 and 2 of Euphoria, and with a Netflix subscription, you can watch old Grey’s Anatomy episodes to see him. Check out our 2022 TV Schedule to learn more about the upcoming new and returning shows.
