A Year Before 'Stranger Things,' 'Grey’s Anatomy' Pushed Millie Bobby Brown As Hollywood’s Next Big Thing

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 11: Millie Bobby Brown attends the 2019 WWD Beauty Inc Awards at The Rainbow Room on December 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
Millie Bobby Brown, a household name thanks to her iconic role as Eleven in Stranger Things, has consistently dominated headlines. Fresh off wrapping Stranger Things Season 5, she pivoted to promoting The Electric State- a Russo brothers-directed Netflix epic with a jaw-dropping $320 million budget. Despite racking up 53.8 million viewing hours in its debut week, the film’s reception fell short of expectations. Long before Hawkins, however, Brown’s star power was already being quietly forged in Seattle’s fictional hospitals.
Before Eleven’s psychic screams echoed through Hawkins, a trembling voice on a dying phone in a hospital signaled the arrival of a generational talent- one poised to conquer screens.
Grey’s Anatomy’s earthquake episode: Millie Bobby Brown’s breakout moment
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In 2015, Grey’s Anatomy Season 11 introduced viewers to Ruby, a resourceful child played by Millie Bobby Brown, in the episode I Feel the Earth Move. Aired on March 12, 2015, the installment centered on a devastating earthquake in Seattle. Ruby’s mother lay critically injured and trapped, forcing the young girl to rely on phone guidance from Dr. Owen Hunt to perform life-saving CPR. Brown’s portrayal of desperation and resolve, despite minimal screen time, hinted at the raw talent that redefined her career.
The episode became a showcase for Brown’s precocious ability to anchor high-stakes drama. Critics noted her emotional range as Ruby balanced panic with determination, even as her phone batte dwindled- a metaphor for the ticking clock of survival. Though Stranger Things catapulted her to global fame a year later, Grey’s Anatomy served as one of her first major tapes for Hollywood.
That same raw vulnerability that held viewers breathless in a Grey's Anatomy? It became the blueprint for Emmy-worthy performances and pages that topped bestseller lists.
Millie Bobby Brown builds beyond Hawkins
Millie Bobby Brown’s trajectory post-Grey’s Anatomy reads like a Hollywood fairytale. At 13, she became one of the youngest Primetime Emmy nominees for Stranger Things, earning a second nod at 14. By 16, she executive-produced and starred in Netflix’s Enola Holmes franchise, proving her versatility beyond the Upside Down. Parallel to acting, she launched Florence by Mills, a Gen-Z-focused skincare line, and authored Nineteen Steps, a novel rooted in her family’s history.
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 19: Millie Bobby Brown attends the 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 19, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Brown's 2018 UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador role further cemented her as a multifaceted force. Despite her stratospheric rise, Brown’s journey was not without hurdles. Born with partial hearing loss, she adapted to challenges with resilience. While The Electric State’s lukewarm reception raises questions about Netflix’s mega-budget gambles, Brown’s track record suggests setbacks are mere detours for an artist with undeniable talent and grit.
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Did Millie Bobby Brown’s Grey’s Anatomy role hint at her Eleven-level stardom? Share your thoughts below
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Edited By: Hriddhi Maitra
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