To celebrate the 100th birthday of NBC, the cast and creators of the beloved fantasy crime drama Grimm got together for an exclusive 15-year anniversary panel. Fans explored the mythology and behind-the-scenes moments with the cast, including David Giuntoli, Elizabeth Tulloch, Silas Weir Mitchell, Russell Hornsby, Sasha Roiz, Bree Turner, Reggie Lee, and co-creators/executive producers Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt. Alexis Denisof moderated.
With most of the main cast present, fans got to see the camaraderie that still exists all these years later. The show, which Kouf and Greenwalt joked started because they wanted to use something in the public domain, centers on fairytales and the idea that their beasts are real. As the show’s success grew, the concept went beyond the Brothers Grimm’s fare, extending to other cultural legends and myths.
Since Portland was such an integral part of the series, with the cast agreeing that it became a character in its own right, Denisof asked if anyone had been back since. Turner shared she goes every year, a testament to how the show impacted not only the dedicated fanbase but the actors involved.
Giuntoli recalled how it felt when he received the pilot to play the show’s main character, homicide detective Nick Burkhardt:
Well, you know, you— acting isn’t a sure thing. So when I got the pilot, I thought, this is great, please someone give me a job, please. So truly I was just, let’s go in there and crush as hard as I can. And I went in. Sometimes you can tell in a room that something’s working for some reason, and that seemed to be happening there. I think I just didn’t want to screw it up in the room. And then everybody made the mistake and said, “We’re hiring this guy.” And then next thing you know, 123 episodes.
When asked if anyone took a souvenir from the set, Giuntoli looked lovingly at Tulloch and noted that better than a prop, he found his wife and partner, a very sweet moment.
The chemistry among the cast felt authentic, and as they recalled their time together, their respect was palpable. Turner and Tulloch apparently still have Monday movie nights with their families.
Turner and Weir Mitchell, who play the Wesen couple Rosalee and Monroe, shared a bond that, in many ways, became the heart of the series.
Turner explained:
“I think for me, for Rosalie, it was a discovery process. But my one of— it was not day one or day two. It was when Silas and I, when Monroe and Rosalie, are in the basement of the spice shop and we look at each other and we both commune through our morph. And we’re sort of smelling each other and like, you know, it was this really important moment. But what was so cool about being someone that jumped in later is that the established foundation of their story, the crew, Portland, the chemistry, the talent— I just basically was like, jumped into this really stable support system, and I felt free to discover what best nature would be.”
Turner also noted how difficult it was to pronounce all of the various beast names and how she’s convinced they just started messing with her after a while.
Overall, the panel was a special treat for the diehard fans in the audience, who clearly felt the love and appreciation from the panelists.
Stay tuned to The Beat for more news from SDCC ’26.
