{alltv} Cdn. actor winning over 'Grey's' fans

LOS ANGELES -- Canadian actor James Tupper is McUnforgettable, according to Grey's Anatomy focus groups and fans, and writers for the hit prime-time show are said to be busy working on scenarios where the Dartmouth, N.S., native becomes a regular during the next season.

Tupper had his first guest appearance on Grey's in the first episode of Season 7 last September, playing trauma psychologist Dr. Andrew Perkins. The show is known for its hunky nicknamed males, including Patrick "McDreamy" Dempsey and Eric "McSteamy" Dane.

Although Tupper's acting spot was billed as a one-time-only guest appearance for the former Men in Trees and Mercy actor, I reported that show producers were eager to write him into more episodes, depending on fan reaction.

Well, the fans spoke, and Tupper was brought back another six times during the season as the love interest of Dr. Teddy Altman (Kim Raver). In the season finale on May 19, Teddy seems to be ready to dump Tupper's character in order to give it a go with a man she married to help obtain health insurance, played by the compelling Scott Foley, but an ABC source says it is not the end for Tupper. In fact, it may be just the beginning.

"His hunk factor grows each time he makes an appearance. The phones and e-mails get jammed by fans," said the source. "Grey's fans want James Tupper."

Although the show just ended, this is crunch time for the writers who must have scripts in hand when shooting begins for Season 8 next month. "There are so many scenarios on how to get Teddy and Andrew back, or maybe Andrew with someone else. The writers are playing with what will work."

Tupper -- who lives in Los Angeles with actress Anne Heche and their three-year-old son, Atlas -- isn't exactly begging for work. The sexy 45 year old has a sizable role in Jim Carrey's Mr. Popper's Penguins in theatres next month. And right now he's in post-production on Playing the Field, a movie set for release next year also starring Gerard Butler, Uma Thurman and Jessica Biel.

Grey's Anatomy show creator Shonda Rhimes, who is known to pull up her sleeves and re-write an entire script herself, has not publicly commented on Tupper's role for next season. She did, however, admit to still being confused over what to do with the other top Canadian star in her cast, Sandra Oh.

Oh, who's contract with the show expires next year, left her character, Dr. Cristina Yang, pregnant and wanting an abortion, much to the vexation of her TV husband, Owen (Kevin McKidd).

"I'm still debating what's going to happen with Cristina and Owen, in my own head," Rhimes said in an interview last month.