T.R. Knight as George O'Malley

Dr. George O'Malley exudes a sweet and gentle image but doubtfully not gutsy enough to be a surgeon. Indeed, he lacks confidence, needs to focus more on his work and needs to stop staring at Meredith Grey. But apart from his flaws, he is dependable and compassionate about his patients.

His attraction to Meredith was instant, but because he knew that it’s just another case of unrequited love, he tried hard to hide his feelings. He got involved with nurse Olivia, but when she cheated on him with his fellow intern Dr. Alex Karev, he quickly ended their relationship. Shortly thereafter, he found out that he has syphilis, an STD that he contracted from Olivia. Although upset about the betrayal and the STD, it was clear that he was still very much enamored with Meredith, and after the surgical intern suffered heartache after heartache in the hands of Dr. Derek Shepherd, George finally came clean with Meredith. In her desperation and loneliness, she agreed to sleep with George, but midway through the act, she burst out crying. George was offended by Meredith’s behavior and proceeded to ignore her. Still, even as he gave Meredith the silent treatment, he became sensitive to her problems and even rescued her from an unpleasant encounter with her father. Eventually, George forgave Meredith and his affection gradually transferred to orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Callie Torres. His relationship with Callie is not without tension, as he found out that Callie used to be involved with Dr. Mark Sloan. In careless haste, George and Callie tied the knot in Las Vegas, and their marriage hit a bump in the road when George slept with fellow intern and best friend, Dr. Izzie Stevens.

As a professional, George has gained much success, especially after he performed surgery inside a stalled elevator. He has formed a bond with surgeon Dr. Preston Burke, and even spent some time living with Burke and Cristina. This bond was tested when George chose Dr. Erica Hahn, instead of Burke, to perform a major surgery on his father, who ended up on life support after the operation.

George is the only one in his family who pursued a medical career, and he has often been the center of ridicule for his chosen profession. Despite this, George loves his family and has tried hard to gain his father’s approval. Unfortunately, George was made to deal with the loss of his father after he decided to take him off life support.

(Photo courtesy of ABC)