Before ‘Thor,’ Tessa Thompson’s Forgotten Role on Shonda Rhimes’ 84% RT Drama Was a Game-Changer
With Hedda opening October 22, Tessa Thompson is once again commanding the screen — this time as a reimagined version of Henrik Ibsen’s famously complex heroine. Under the direction of Nia DaCosta, the film reimagines Hedda Gabler in England during the 1950s, with Thompson supported by an impressive cast that includes Nina Hoss, Imogen Poots, Tom Bateman, and Nicholas Pinnock. Early reviews have already heralded Thompson’s mischief and magnetism – two qualities that have characterized her career from the very beginning.
Long before this, wielding a sword in Thor: Ragnarok, or starring in Creed alongside Michael B. Jordan, she brought that same emotional weight to her short but devastating arc on Grey’s Anatomy. Her two episodes as Camille Travis, the long-missed niece of Dr. Richard Webber, remains one of Grey’s Anatomy’s most quietly devastating storylines.
Who Did Tessa Thompson on Grey’s Anatomy?
By the time Thompson joined Grey’s Anatomy in 2006, she was still an emerging actor balancing stage work with early TV roles. After performing Shakespeare in Los Angeles and appearing in Cold Case and Veronica Mars, she made her film debut in the 2006 thriller When a Stranger Calls.
While she wasn’t yet a household name, Thompson’s natural poise and emotional intelligence were already setting her apart. Her casting in Shonda Rhimes’ Grey’s Anatomy came at a time when the series was becoming a cultural juggernaut, known for giving young actors the chance to shine — even in minor roles.
Thompson portrayed Camille Travis, Richard Webber’s (James Pickens Jr.) teenage niece, in Season 2. Camille has sex with her boyfriend at prom, and after she collapses, learns that her ovarian cancer has come back. For Richard, this is devastating — a realization that no amount of medicine can protect those you love from loss.
How Tessa Thompson’s Portrayal of Camille Shaped One of the Show’s Most Memorable Episodes
Camille’s illness inspired one of Grey’s Anatomy’s most iconic moments: The hospital prom. When Richard realizes Camille will never experience a proper high school dance, he asks the interns to recreate one at Seattle Grace. The result is an episode that mixes joy and heartbreak — a bittersweet reminder that empathy is just as vital as medicine.
What Came Next For Tessa Thompson
Camille’s arc concludes in Season 2, but the character returns in Season 4 — recast with The Bernie Mac Show’s Camille Winbush — where her fate is finally revealed. By then, Thompson had already graduated from Shondaland’s ranks to new creative ground, appearing on Private Practice as Zoe Salter, another emotionally fraught medical case.
For a series known for launching and showcasing stars — from Jeffrey Dean Morgan to Millie Bobby Brown — Thompson’s time at Seattle Grace stands as an early showcase of her dramatic instincts. Camille Travis may not have been a main character, but she made a lasting impact on the series and its fan base.