Rob Lowe could have been Dr. Derek Shepherd on ABC hit “Grey’s Anatomy,” but he passed on the role for a spot on “Dr. Vegas.”
On an episode of the podcast “WTF With Marc Maron,” Lowe talked about how he frequently turns down roles, according to a report published Thursday by Entertainment Tonight.
“Dude, I turned down ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ That probably cost me $70 million,” Lowe joked. “Eh, it’s just money.”
Even though the actor missed out on a role in the longest-running medical drama on television, he has no regrets. “I watched it when it came out, and when they started calling the handsome doctor ‘McDreamy,’ I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s not for me,'” Lowe said. (RELATED: Rob Lowe Throws On Some Gear To Assist Firefighters In California)
During the time he was offered the role of Derek Shepherd, Lowe was in negotiations for his role in “Dr. Vegas.” He chose “Dr. Vegas,” which only aired five episodes. “Grey’s” is on its 15th season, although the character, Derek Shepherd, died in the 11th season.
He had finished negotiations for “Dr. Vegas,” but hadn’t signed the contract when the producers for “Grey’s” called him up and offered him the role that Patrick Dempsey would go on to take.
“‘Grey’s’ was a much better script; in fact, there was no comparison,” said Lowe. “[But] year after year after year, all of ABC’s new dramas flopped. CBS was on a hot streak that continues to this day.”