Shonda Lynn Rhimes is an American TV producer, author, and screenwriter. She is most famous for being the showrunner, i.e., head writer, creator, and executive producer of global hit TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal.

The Rhimes-produced period drama ‘Bridgerton’ premiered on Netflix on December 25, 2020. It quickly became one of the most watched shows on the streaming platform. The series showcases the lives of high-society families in England during the Regency era and their quest for love.

Shonda Rhimes – Net Worth and Salary

As of 2021, Shonda’s net worth was estimated to be $140 million. Taking into account her fee for each episode, profit sharing, and syndication proceeds, it is reported that Rhimes makes around $1million per episode.

Early Life and Education 

Shonda was born on January 13, 1970 in Chicago, Illinois to university administrator Ilee Rhimes, Jr. and college professor Vera P. Cain. She has 5 siblings and is the youngest child. She grew up in Park Forest South, currently called University Park, with her 2 brothers and 3 sisters.

Shonda’s mother continued studying while raising the kids, eventually earning a doctorate in 1991 in educational administration. Her MBA graduate father went to serve as the CIO (chief information officer) at the University of Southern California and retired in 2013.

Rhimes did her schooling from Marian Catholic High School located in Chicago Heights, Illinois. She showed interest in storytelling from a very early age. She gained knowledge about hospital surroundings when working as a hospital volunteer during her high school days.

She then attended Dartmouth College. There, she wrote for its newspaper, became a member of the Black Underground Theater Association, wrote fiction, and directed and acted in student productions. She graduated in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree majoring in film studies and English.

After a brief break, Rhimes enrolled at LA’s University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts to study screenwriting. There she was top of her class and received the Gary Rosenberg Writing Fellowship. While at USC, she worked as an intern for well-known African-American producer Debra Martin Chase. She also worked at Mundy Lane Entertainment, the company of Denzel Washington. She graduated from the university with a Master of Fine Arts degree. 

Shonda Rhimes – Career

After Dartmouth, Rhimes moved to San Francisco and began working at the advertising firm ‘McCann Erickson’. She left the company to attend USC.

After USC, Shonda did not get any offers for scriptwriting. To make ends meet, she did many odd jobs like counseling at a job center, office administrator, etc.

In the mid 90s she worked on the documentary ‘Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream’ as a research director. It won the Peabody Award in 1995. She directed the Jada Pinkett-Smith starrer short film ‘Blossoms and Veils’ in 1998; this movie is her only directorial venture. A year later, she co-wrote the HBO movie ‘Introducing Dorothy Dandridge’. Rhimes got her first major break as a writer in 2001 with the Britney Spears starrer ‘Crossroads’. She then wrote for The Princess Diaries 2.

Shonda Rhimes – TV Shows and Netflix Series 

Shonda found worldwide fame and recognition in 2005 after the debut of her TV show ‘Grey’s Anatomy’. To this day, she continues to serve as the creator, head writer, and executive producer of the show. She created and produced the spin-off show ‘Private Practice’ in 2007. After failures like Off the Map and Inside the Box, the series ‘Scandal’ premiered on ABC in April 2012. It was a critical and commercial success. Shonda’s hit production ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ starring Viola Davis premiered in May 2014.  

In August 2017, Rhimes entered into a multi-year deal with Netflix. The deal was reported to be worth $100 million. As per the deal, all the future productions of Shonda were to be Netflix original series. As of 2020, Shonda is working on over 12 projects for the web streaming service provider.

Shondaland is her production agency which is partnered with Netflix ever since 2017, before which this agency was in a tie-up with Disney- ABC. 

Shonda Rhimes – House

She owns an over 4900 square feet Tudor-style mansion in Hancock Park, Los Angeles. This 4-bedroom home was purchased by her in 2017 for over $4.5 million. In 2007, she bought a duplex (located near Hancock Park) for nearly $2 million. She owns two other villas; both are spread across more than 8000 square foot.

 

Shonda Rhimes – Husband

• Rhimes is not married. She however has 3 daughters. She adopted her first daughter in 2002 and the second in 2012. She has her third daughter in September 2013 through gestational surrogacy.

Trivia

• She lost over 100 pounds in 2015 through dieting and exercise. She was given an honorary doctorate by Dartmouth in 2014.
• She has won 1 Golden Globe award and many awards from the Producer’s Guild of America, the Writer’s Guild of America, and the Director’s Guild of America. She has also received 3 Emmy Award nominations.
• She was featured in Time magazine’s “100 People Who Help Shape the World” list in 2007. 

Shonda Rhimes – Books

Rhimes has written many books, the first being a memoir titled “Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun, and Be Your Own Person” published in 2015.  

Shonda Rhimes – Pictures

Shonda Rhimes – Young Pictures

Shonda Rhimes – adopted daughters