Grey’s Anatomy is losing another longtime cast member. The series, which is the longest-running primetime series currently on ABC, originally premiered in 2005. The series followed the romantic and professional travails of Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), who is both the narrator and the lead of an ensemble cast that throughout the years has included Katherine Heigl, Patrick Dempsey, Sandrah Oh, Sara Ramirez, and many more. Earlier this year on season 19, episode 7, “I’ll Follow the Sun,” Pompeo left the series as a regular cast member after 409 episodes.
Deadline, there are now more casting shakeups impending on Grey’s Anatomy season 19. Kelly McCreary’s Maggie Pierce is set to exit after starring on the series for nine seasons. Pierce, who is Grey’s half-sister and the head of cardiothoracic surgery, will have her last episode as a regular cast member air on April 13.
What Major Grey’s Anatomy Characters Are Still Sticking Around?
Neither Pompeo’s nor McCreary’s exits are final. Both are already set to reappear in a special episode that will air a little later in season 19, and Pompeo will continue to executive produce and narrate the series. However, their exits leave a major hole in the main cast, which has shifted considerably since the show first premiered.
Now, there are only two cast members who have been part of the main cast on every episode of Grey’s Anatomy: Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. Wilson plays Dr. Miranda Bailey, who worked her way up from senior resident to Chief of Surgery over the course of the series. Pickens Jr. plays Dr. Richard Webber, who was the original Chief of Surgery and a former flame of Meredith’s mother, Ellis Grey (Kate Burton).
Although the pair are the longest-running cast members still on the series, there are still quite a few series veterans sticking around for the time being. This includes Owen Hunt as Kevin McKidd, a role he originated in season 5, and Jo Wilson as Camilla Luddington, who began as a recurring character in season 8 before being promoted to main cast the following season. While the shape of the Grey’s Anatomy cast may be changing, longtime fans will still have some familiar faces to help guide them through the show’s uncertain future.