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20 Things To Know About Grey’s Anatomy’s Justin Chambers

It's absolutely crazy to think that Justin Chambers made his debut as Dr. Alex Karev on Grey's Anatomy over a decade ago. That's right—a decade!

The show started in 2005, and though he was meant to be the least-liked character at first, viewers almost immediately fell in love with Karev because, well, Justin Chambers just played him so perfectly.

Fans could sense that a lot of the prickly parts of his personality were from his upbringing and personal demons, and as the seasons rolled on, it became clear that he would do absolutely anything for his friends and those close to him.

Chambers is one of the rare few, along with Ellen Pompeo, who has been on the show from the very first season and is still loving life on set. Fans are not sure how much longer the show will go, but one thing is for sure—they've all been obsessed with Justin Chambers for well over a decade now, and while they don't want to say goodbye to Dr. Karev, they're kind of excited to see what projects Chambers will tackle when he eventually gets a bit more time in his busy schedule.

Here are 20 things fans may not have known about Justin Chambers AKA Dr. Alex Karev.

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20 He's Been Married To His Wife Keisha For 25 Years

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On the show, Chambers plays a bit of a ladies' man. Sure, he's in quite a few committed relationships, but he's also known for his somewhat flirtatious ways. However, that couldn't be further from the truth in real life.

He married his wife Keisha way back in 1993, and the two have been together ever since.

Back in 2007, when the show was really picking up steam, he spoke a bit about his relationship in an interview with Good Housekeeping, saying that "we've been together for so long that I really don't know any other way to be... every relationship has its ups and downs, but I'm glad I get to go through the ups and downs with her." Adorable!

19 He Has Five Kids — Including One In College!

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One of the surprising work-related twists on the show was when it was revealed that the prickly Alex Karev had a bit of an aptitude for pediatrics. Justin Chambers always seemed really comfortable around children, and it turns out there's a reason for that—he has five kids of his own! Despite being on a massively successful television show, he doesn't do a ton of publicity, but he's brought his family to a few events over the years. His oldest daughter, Isabella, was born shortly after the Chamberses got married, back in 1994—which means she's in her mid-20s now! It's absolutely nuts to imagine that he has grown children—he looks so amazing!

18 He Got His Start As A Model

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Katherine Heigl's character Izzie may have gotten teased on the show for her modeling days, but in real life, Justin Chambers actually made some of his money as a successful model. That is, before the whole acting thing took off!

He actually achieved a fair bit of success, doing some campaigns for labels including Calvin Klein.

We're happy that he decided to hang up his modeling hat and go into acting. However, his modeling past must come in handy when it's time for a photo shoot—Chambers probably knows all his angles and how to get the camera to capture his good side.

17 He Often Wears Sunglasses To Table Reads

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Dr. Karev always had a bit of a too cool for school vibe, and it turns out, some of that attitude has seeped into his personal life as well! Co-star Camilla Luddington spilled to Cosmopolitan about Chambers' funny habit during table reads—he wears sunglasses! As she said, "I almost feel like he's got a Johnny Depp vibe. Super cool. He will come to the table read, and he's in his hat and his cool sunglasses... he just makes everything look cool." We totally agree with her! There's just something about him that absolutely oozes confidence—no wonder he's able to pull off the character of Karev so well!

16 He Struggled With A Sleep Disorder Where He Was Barely Sleeping At All

via: tvguide.com

It's easy to feel like celebrities live absolutely charmed lives, and yes, most of them have access to far more money and luxuries than the average person. However, that doesn't mean that their lives are totally worry-free—they have health problems and personal issues just like the rest of us. Chambers knows that well.

While his resume has been growing steadily over the past decade, he's struggled tremendously with sleep, and in 2008 actually ended up checking into the hospital at UCLA.

He discussed the situation with People, saying that "it's a biological sleep disorder. Your mind keeps racing, and your body is tired. It wants to go to sleep but it can't." Luckily, he managed to get his health handled.

15 He Practices Yoga

via: usmagazine.com

It's always interesting to hear what kind of exercises celebrities do to stay camera-ready. While it's fun to hear all about how certain stars get into shape for particular roles, it's even more fascinating to figure out what stars do day in and day out. While we would have guessed Chambers was the type of guy to hit the weight room, it turns out that he actually loves to do yoga! Who would have guessed? So, if you ever find yourself in Los Angeles at a yoga class and you see someone who looks like Justin Chambers, well—it just might be!

14 He Can Swim Like A Fish

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There have been a ton of natural disasters over the course of the many seasons of Grey's Anatomy, and if there are ever any water-based or swimming scenes, Chambers isn't going to fret over them—it turns out, he's an amazing swimmer!

He confessed to Us Weekly a few years ago that "I can swim like a fish," which is something we never would have known about him.

Perhaps one day he'll end up playing a character who is a swimmer, and get to show off his skills on screen. I mean, if you've got it, why not flaunt it from time to time?

13 He's Totally Obsessed With Composer Ennio Morricone

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There are celebrities who claim to love pop music, celebrities who are country fans through and through, and other celebs who prefer blasting Broadway tunes when they're driving to set every morning. Chambers, it turns out, is a massive fan of composer Ennio Morricone's music, which is just proof that Hollywood is definitely the right place for him. As he told Us Weekly, "I could listen to Ennio Morricone's music every day for the rest of my life." High praise indeed! We imagine Morricone's tunes probably help him get in the right state of mind for dramatic scenes, which is just an added bonus.

12 He Wanted To Be A Dentist Growing Up

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There are many celebrities who confess that they've only ever wanted to be performers of some sort, whether singers or actors or simply someone on stage somewhere. Chambers had a bit of a different experience.

Back when he was a kid, he wasn't dreaming of the bright lights of show business—he was dreaming of the bright lights of a dental office because his biggest dream was to be a dentist.

While we're sure he would have been great at that, we're glad he decided to get into acting instead. He's played a doctor for years and years now, perhaps his next role will allow him to live out his childhood dentist dreams—he can clearly handle medical jargon on camera!

11 He Once Had A Pet Goose Named George (Not O'Malley)

via: imdb.com

When you think of the name George, if you're a Grey's Anatomy fan, chances are you almost immediately think of George O'Malley. However, Justin Chambers had another George in his life at one point—although it was a feathered companion. It turns out, when he was a kid, he had a pet goose that he named George. We're not sure what the story is behind the goose as a pet rather than a cat or dog as most kids have, but hey—why not? Perhaps one day he'll decide to bring feathered family pets back into his life and get a goose for his own kids.

10 He's Very Spiritual

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Justin Chambers isn't one of those celebrities who is constantly talking about his faith and his beliefs, but it turns out, he's actually a very spiritual person.

He's mentioned previously in interviews that he's totally obsessed with the Book of Revelations, and many of the things he pursues in his personal life are tied to his faith in some way.

It's always interesting to find out who a celebrity truly is off screen, when the cameras aren't there—and it seems that Chambers is genuinely just a really, really good guy. It must have been challenging to play Alex Karev at times!

9 He Worked Odd Jobs In High School, Including Selling Orthopedic Shoes

via: tvguide.com

There are quite a few celebrities who essentially grew up in the entertainment industry, either because they were child stars or because their parents were involved in some way and they got a peek behind the scenes. Chambers had a totally different experience. He grew up far away from Hollywood, which meant he spent the first few years of his working life putting in the hours at jobs that weren't exactly glamorous, including a job he had in high school where he sold orthopedic shoes. However, you never know what experiences will help you shape a character—perhaps that high school job will come in handy some day!

8 He Started Playing Tennis As A Hobby When He Was Older

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You're never too old to learn new things, as Justin Chambers knows very well. He seems to be an active guy, and as an actor who brings characters to life all the time, he's clearly creative, and he decided to take up an entirely new hobby later on in life—swinging a tennis racket!

Tennis wasn't something he played a lot of growing up, but he just realized one day that it was something he was interested in, and decided to learn it.

We totally admire anyone that does something like that later in life—it's not always easy to try something new!

7 He Grew Up In Ohio

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Justin Chambers wasn't a celebrity who spent his formative years in California—he grew up far away from the bright lights of Hollywood, in Ohio. His parents were both deputy sheriffs, and he had a pretty normal upbringing. While some people may assume that growing up in Los Angeles is a huge advantage for actors, there's something about experiencing an entirely different way of life before making your way to Hollywood as an adult that can be so impactful. We'd bet he wouldn't trade in his Ohio childhood for anything—he seems to really care about his family and his personal relationships.

6 He Has A Fraternal Twin Brother, Jason

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For Justin Chambers, the fact that he has five kids may not seem so crazy, because he actually grew up as one of five. And, in addition to his three regular siblings, he also had a twin brother, Jason.

The two apparently had adorable nicknames—Juddybird and Jaybird—and were pretty much inseparable growing up, even battling some health issues when they were young.

Justin doesn't really reveal a ton about his personal life to the press because, well, why should he, but we'd bet his relationship with his twin is still rock solid. There's just a special bond that twins have that goes beyond normal sibling ties.

5 He Almost Wasn't Part Of Grey's Anatomy

via: odysseyonline.com

While every cast member on Grey's Anatomy is insanely talented, we have to admit—we just couldn't imagine the show without Alex Karev. However, it turns out, that almost happened! First of all, the character of Karev wasn't even in the original script for the pilot—he was only added because the producers thought another male character was needed, so they added Chambers in to the pilot digitally afterwards. Second, Chambers had a leading role on another show, and actually filmed about four episodes before he left because it wasn't the right role for him. Talk about the stars aligning!

4 He Once Took An Acting Class From His Childhood Crush

via: cosmopolitan.com

Whether you land a leading role almost immediately after moving to Hollywood or struggle for a decade to make a profession in the entertainment industry happen, one thing is for sure—you can always be growing and learning your craft as an actor. Chambers knows that well, which is why he signed up for acting classes in 2013. Well, kind of.

It turns out, there was an acting class that was led by his childhood crush, Lindsay Wagner.

So, despite the fact that he'd been in a leading role on a massively successful show for nearly a decade, he took the class because, well, why not make your childhood dream come true?

3 He's Involved With Dream Center, A Non-Profit In Los Angeles

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Celebrities have a huge presence in the world, which means they have a big platform from which to share their passions and beliefs. In many cases, this means a celebrity can shine some light on an otherwise ignored charity, and bring them a little extra attention. That's exactly what Justin Chambers did with Dream Center—although he doesn't do it for the press, so he doesn't discuss it all that often. Dream Center is a faith-based charity in the Los Angeles area that helps struggling individuals across the country, offering everything from the necessities like food and clothing to more general programs that help them to transform their lives.

2 His First Big Acting Role Was In A Dave Matthews Band Video

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There's no denying that Dr. Alex Karev in Grey's Anatomy was Justin Chambers' breakout role, the one which most people know him for, but did you know that his first major role actually came an entire decade before he landed the television role?

He actually starred in the "Ants Marching" video for Dave Matthews Band all the way back in 1995.

It's crazy to think about just how many celebrities made their first television appearances in music videos. Talk about a blast from the past! And, given what an important part of Grey's Anatomy music is, it's kind of fitting that Chambers has that connection.

1 He Has Two Rescue Dogs And A Beagle

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With a big, bustling household filled with children, Justin Chambers obviously has some pets—and we couldn't be more obsessed with his adorable pups. It turns out, the television superstar has two rescue dogs that his family adopted, as well as a beagle named D'Artagnan. Rescue dogs and a literary name? Be still our hearts! We love that he's one of the stars who is passionate about rescue organizations rather than one of the stars who is willing to fork over big bucks for a designer dog. There are so many pups in need of a good home out there in the world.

Sources: Cosmopolitan, Us Magazine

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