Shonda Rhimes

Shonda Lynn Rhimes is the most powerful showrunner in television history — a writer and producer whose shows have dominated prime-time television for two decades and who single-handedly changed what mainstream American audiences would watch, accept, and celebrate. Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, Bridgerton, and Inventing Anna represent a body of work that has generated billions in revenue and proven that diverse casts aren't a risk — they're a goldmine.

Born in Chicago in 1970, the youngest of six children, Rhimes attended Dartmouth College and USC's School of Cinema-Television. Her first major success, Grey's Anatomy, premiered in 2005 and has run for over 20 seasons, making it one of the longest-running prime-time dramas in history. But it was Scandal (2012) that made history: Kerry Washington became the first Black woman to lead a network drama in nearly 40 years.

Rhimes's production company, Shondaland, owned Thursday nights on ABC for years — an unprecedented achievement. In 2017, she signed a deal with Netflix reportedly worth $150 million, later expanded to over $300 million. Bridgerton became Netflix's most-watched series at the time of its release. Rhimes has been named to Time's 100 Most Influential People multiple times and received the Television Academy's highest honor. Her memoir, Year of Yes, documented her transformation from a shy introvert into television's most dominant force.