On April 23, Isaiah Washington shared on X (formerly Twitter) that Sandra Oh was the reason behind his return to Grey’s Anatomy in 2014. “Sandra Oh was the key to getting me to come back in 2014,” Washington wrote. “She refused to leave the show without my return and she won that battle. I love me some Sandra Oh!”
Washington’s return was brief but significant, helping wrap up Cristina Yang’s story as she exited in season 10. His character, Dr. Preston Burke, offered Cristina an entire cardiothoracic hospital in Switzerland, giving her the opportunity to continue her career at the highest level.
Isaiah Washington’s appearance surprised many fans, especially because of the circumstances of his firing in 2007. In 2006, Washington was involved in an on-set altercation with Patrick Dempsey (Dr. Derek Shepherd), during which he reportedly used a homophobic slur referring to fellow cast member T.R. Knight.
Knight was not publicly out at the time, and the incident caused major controversy, ultimately leading to Washington’s dismissal from the show.
While Sandra Oh has not specifically commented on bringing back Washington, she has openly discussed how deeply she cared about her character’s development.
In a 2020 Variety Actors on Actors interview with Kerry Washington, Oh said, “What I was able to get from Grey’s is to have the responsibility and the relationship with the writer to be able to direct where she’s going.”
She also said she would often go toe-to-toe with Shonda Rhimes and a lot of the writers to protect Cristina’s storylines. Oh added, “I don’t feel I gave up,” calling her work on Cristina’s arc her biggest achievement during her time on the show.
For years, Sandra Oh maintained that she would not return to Grey’s Anatomy. However, she recently softened her stance during an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “For the longest time, it has always been a hard no, and it’s just I don’t know,” she said.
While Oh said she does not feel the need to revisit the show, she acknowledged the deep love fans have for Cristina Yang. “That’s the part that makes me just go, ‘hmmm,’” the actress added, leaving a small door open for the future.