Gray’s Anatomy Forged Now: Register with Ellen Pompeo, Isaiah Washington, Katherine Heigl and More
Gray’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes no longer too lengthy ago detailed how Isaiah Washington’s firing virtually ended the series. To find out where he, Katherine Heigl, Ellen Pompeo and more are now.
No longer one in all the authentic Gray’s Anatomy stars thought the cloak would turn out right here.
It’s been virtually precisely Twenty years for the reason that iconic Shonda Rhimes cloak first aired on ABC on March 27, 2005—and it has continued to reign as one in all the network’s most standard series, continuing on to its twenty first season this Twelve months. And seemingly, the cloak is soundless led by long-established solid members Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr., and—once in a while—Ellen Pompeo.
However while the series has absolutely proved its longevity, a quantity of changes maintain took place over the years. Despite the entirety, Ellen stepped help from the series in 2023, now easiest appearing once in a while, besides to continuing her signature narrations.
“It became once to the level where I in actuality wonderful felt like an animal on the zoo,” Ellen admitted of constant on with the series right thru a March 18 Name Her Daddy interview. “I’m a gigantic believer in destiny. I thought, ‘If there’s one thing else I’m intended to attain, it’s gonna uncover me.’ However I know I need to leave this.”
And uncover her it did. The 55-Twelve months-extinct signed on to massive establish within the original Hulu mini-series Shining American Family in 2022, with the cloak airing on the platform earlier this month.
Nonetheless, no longer all Gray’s Anatomy exits had been as seamless as Ellen’s. Shonda no longer too lengthy ago shared how she is soundless “traumatized” by the 2007 firing of Isaiah Washington—who played Dr. Preston Burke—after a dramatic on-honest incident. Amid a fight with Patrick Dempsey (Dr. Derek Shepherd) Isaiah directed a homophobic slur toward T.R. Knight (Dr. George O’Malley).
In the foundation denying the incident took negate, Isaiah later apologized and mentioned in a assertion that he “requested for inspire.”
He became once fired on the time, nonetheless Shonda no longer too lengthy ago admitted that the incident is soundless contemporary for some members of the solid and crew.
“Folks soundless talk about it,” Shonda advised The Hollywood Reporter of the incident in an interview published March 19. “I mediate the thorn became once having the bubble of delight burst so early on Gray’s, and no longer having anyone drawn to helping us cope with it, because that in actuality formed a quantity of how we appeared on the sector going forward.”
For more on where other departed Gray’s Anatomy stars are now, maintain reading…
Isaiah Washington as Preston Burke
In season three, Burke abandoned Cristina on the altar after which wonderful took off, at closing profitable a Harper Avery award in assorted locations after which at some level, involving to Zurich, Switzerland to open his hang hi-tech sanatorium. He bought married, started a family, after which in season 10, he invited Cristina to his sanatorium to take it over for him as he retired.
Isaiah Washington left the series after it became once reported that he known as costar T.R. Knight a ecstatic slur right thru an argument on honest with Patrick Dempsey, and all his defenses wonderful saved making it worse before he at closing became once let drag from the series. Interestingly he and ABC made up, because they let him return for a 2d in 2014.
As for what Washington has mentioned of the incident? He later issued a public apology, adding in another assertion, “I will furthermore no longer hiss to myself that there are points I obviously need to survey within my hang soul, and I've requested for inspire.”
In the years since his Gray's Anatomy departure,he has starred as Thelonious Jaha on The CW's The 100, until his personality died in season 5, adopted by Starz' critically acclaimed P-Valley.
Katherine Heigl as Izzie Stevens
Izzie Stevens bought cancer, married Alex Karev, survived the cancer, after which sorta wonderful disappeared in season six. She at closing returned for a 2d and admitted she didn't feel like Seattle became once her home anymore. Later, Alex bought sent divorce papers, and now we know Izzie secretly had Alex's twins, lives on a ranch in Kansas, and maintain develop into a surgical oncologist.
Katherine Heigl's exit assuredly started in 2008 when she withdrew her establish from Emmy consideration because she didn't feel like the cloth deserved it. In 2010, the personality disappeared entirely. She mentioned within the years since that she would favor to approach help to the personality, nonetheless creator Shonda Rhimes did no longer. “I'm completed with that myth,” she advised TVLine in 2015.
Heigl, then a burgeoning romcom big establish, went on to massive establish in a pair of more romcoms before returning to TV with Whine of Affairs, then Doubt, and more no longer too lengthy ago, she had an arc Suits and starred in Firefly Lane until it ended in 2023.
Edward Herrmann as Intern Norman
Intern Norman arrived in season four and had to fend off assumptions that he became once an attending, in preference to an intern, as a result of his age. He messed up and advised the contaminated affected person she became once loss of life, and later he collapsed and had a stroke. He had surgical map to take away the blood clot, and made up our minds after his surgical map that he became once going to transfer to psych.
Edward Herrmann, a rather legendary actor, is mostly broadly regularly known as Richard Gilmore on Gilmore Girls. He furthermore appeared in different episodes of The Shining Partner, Harry's Law, and even American Dad before his loss of life in 2014.
Kali Rocha as Sydney Heron
Sydney became once the perky resident who took over for Bailey right thru her maternity leave and drove everybody loopy alongside with her perkiness. She even went on a date with Derek at one level, nonetheless trend of disappeared in early season four. She in transient reprised her role for season 21 in 2024.
Kali Rocha most no longer too lengthy ago starred on Disney's Liv and Maddie and Man with a Idea plus a 2024 episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
T.R. Knight as George O'Malley
Judicious one of many perfect tearjerkers on this listing, on the damage of season 5, George had wonderful made up our minds to enlist as a trauma surgeon within the army and became once on his manner to attain so when he saved a lady from getting hit by a bus, easiest to be hit himself. He became once in such bad shape when he bought to the sanatorium that no-one known him until he passe his finger to write his nickname, 007, in Meredith's hand. They had been unable to build him, and he tragically died.
After several tumultuous seasons on the help of the scenes (collectively with Isaiah Washington the exhaust of the f-discover while allegedly referring to him), Knight struggled with some of George's storylines and the real fact that George barely appeared within the foundation of season 5, and requested to be released from his contract.
Knight returned to Shondaland in 2017 for an arc on The Derive, and has furthermore appeared on The Shining Partner, 11.22.63, and Genius, amongst other series. In 2019, he started pronounce acting for The Bravest Knight before departing in 2024. He furthermore appeared in HBO Max series The Flight Attendant with Kaley Cuoco between 2020 and 2022.
He furthermore returned to Gray's for one episode to meet Meredith right thru her COVID-19 coma in season 17.
Brooke Smith as Erica Hahn
Erica Hahn and Callie Torres started a relationship that in actuality may well per chance presumably also maintain long gone somewhere, until Erica learned about the time Izzie Stevens cleave Denny Duquette's LVAD wire in attempts to build his life. The center that then went to Denny became once taken from one in all Erica's sufferers. When Callie refused to sage the be troubled, Erica up and left the connection and her job in early season 5.
Brooke Smith went on to seem in Bosch, Bates Motel, Supergirl, The Shining Doctor, Chicago Med, and The Shining Battle, and the 2019 film Bombshell.
Most no longer too lengthy ago, she had arcs in Ryan Murphy's Grotesquerie, The Recruit and The Searching Celebration.
Brandon Scott as Intern Ryan
Intern Ryan disappeared in early season six and Brandon Scott most no longer too lengthy ago starred on Netflix's Unnecessary To Me, 13 Reasons Why, This Is Us and The Shining Doctor.
Molly Kidder as Intern Megan
For the total drama that nearly all Gray's interns are inclined to trigger, Megan wonderful may well per chance presumably also take the scalpel. She bought right into a worship triangle with Steve and Pierce, as she became once relationship Pierce, nonetheless slept with Steve, after which Pierce mandatory to abolish Steve, and Megan bought pregnant by Steve, after which she later married Steve, and she hasn't been seen since season six after Derek Shepherd rehired her.
Molly Kidder has completed a pair of acting gigs since Gray's, collectively with a guest negate on Outsourced in 2010 and a few fair motion photos. She furthermore appeared as a further in Ghosts in 2025.
Joe Williamson as Intern Pierce
Pierce, one corner of the Megan/Pierce/Steve worship triangle, became once at closing fired in a round of layoffs and left in season six. Joe Williamson has since appeared on reveals like Here and Now and the 2019 film Ford v Ferrari with Christian Bale and Matt Damon.
Sign Saul as Intern Steve
Steve became once the opposite corner of the intern worship triangle, at closing marrying Megan and fathering her child. Steve survived the layoffs and made it the total manner to season eight, easiest to never be seen again.
Sign Saul has appeared on other TV reveals since his mysterious disappearance from Gray's, like Franklin & Bash, Mom, The Mountainous Indoors, Grace & Frankie, Up-to-the-minute Family and I Deem You Can even soundless Scamper away.
Sarah Utterback as Nurse Olivia
Nurse Olivia became once laid off right thru the merger with Mercy West in season six, nonetheless returned for a moment in season 14 when her son swallowed a toy while she became once visiting her fogeys in Seattle. Of course, her son became once handled by Alex, the guy who once gave her syphilis, and she had a quantity of time to talk over with Jo, his then-fiancée.
Sarah Utterback has made a pair of TV appearances within the years since leaving Gray's in 2009, collectively with on the reveals Reception and Mysteries of Laura. In 2024, she had a tiny role in 9-1-1.
Gloria Garayua as Intern Graciella
Intern Graciella became once closing seen right thru the sanatorium taking pictures on the damage of season six, nonetheless Gloria Garayua has been working assuredly nonstop, collectively with a most up-to-date arc on How to Accumulate Away with Cancel and appearances on S.W.A.T., The Shining Doctor, American Housewife, Animal Kingdom, Blizzard, Prison Minds, NCIS: LA, Enrage Management, Bones, and the 2019 miniseries Reckoning. She furthermore appeared as Rona on a 2024 episode of Tracker.
Nora Zehetner as Reed Adamson
Nora became once the fundamental casualty of Gary Clark, who introduced a gun to the sanatorium desiring to abolish Derek. She died straight after being shot within the prime in season six.
Nora Zehetner appeared in a pair episodes of Enraged Males after her Gray's loss of life, and no longer too lengthy ago starred on Designated Survivor and the 2019 series The Good Stuff. In 2025, she appeared as Melissa in Grosse Point Backyard Society.
Robert Baker as Charles Percy
Percy furthermore died right thru the season six taking pictures, though his loss of life became once well-known more drawn out as he became once trapped in a room with a affected person (Mandy Moore!) and Bailey, and shot at accurate shut vary. Bailey did her most efficient to build Percy, nonetheless when the elevators had been disabled within the evacuation, he became once doomed.
Robert Baker has completed wonderful ravishing ever since, appearing on Riverdale, Up-to-the-minute Family, The Originals, and most no longer too lengthy ago as Otis Graves on Supergirl. In 2025, he scrubbed help in at a determined sanatorium—appearing in an episode of St. Denis Scientific.
Rachael Taylor as Lucy Fields
OBGYN Lucy kinda sorta stole an superior job in Africa wonderful out from under Alex's nostril, partly because Alex hadn't even talked to her about the real fact that he may well per chance presumably transfer to Africa. So she moved to Africa as an quite quite loads of and became once never heard from again after season seven.
Rachael Taylor is now most efficient regularly known as Jessica Jones' pal Trish on Netflix's Jessica Jones, besides to The Defenders. She furthermore appeared in a 2024 episode of Hacks.
Kate Walsh as Addison Montgomery
Addison, the girl who started as Derek's bitter estranged accomplice and at closing became a fan fave alongside with her hang spinoff, became once closing seen as a usual on Gray's Anatomy in that a little bit of controversial musical episode in season seven, when she helped build Callie after her car accident. She furthermore appeared within the 2012 episode where Meredith imagined that her mother became once soundless alive and fortunately married to Richard, while Derek and Addison had been soundless unhappily married and returned again for an arc in 2023.
She ended Personal Apply married to Jake (Benjamin Bratt) with a son, Henry.
She went on to seem in Fargo, maintain her hang short-lived cloak Detestable Prefer, big establish as a grieving mother in 13 Reasons Why, and inspire bring about the damage of the sector in The Umbrella Academy. She furthermore stars on the 2020 cloak Emily in Paris and appeared in a 2025 episode of Optics.
Chyler Leigh as Lexie Gray
The loss of life of Lexie, Meredith's perky half-sister, became once another fundamental tearjerker, as she perished in one in all the most devastating storylines the cloak has ever had: the plane wreck. She never even made it help to the sanatorium (then known as Seattle Grace) alive after being overwhelmed by share of the plane while the worship of her life, Sign Sloan, cried over her. She and Sign returned to reunite with Meredith right thru her COVID-19 coma and hinted that the couple learned one another again within the afterlife.
Chyler Leigh starred within the hilariously named series Taxi Brooklyn before taking on the role of the badass Alex Danvers on Supergirl. Since 2023, she has starred as Kat Landry in Hallmark's The Come Home.
Eric Dane as Sign Sloan
Sign, a.k.a. McSteamy, furthermore died within the plane wreck of season eight, nonetheless no longer straight. He made it help to the sanatorium and lived for a pair of days, nonetheless his injuries had been too severe. The sanatorium is now named in his and Lexie's honor after the remainder of the plane wreck survivors bought it with the money they received from their lawsuit. Sign returned with Lexie to talk over with Meredith in her coma, hinting that the couple reunited after loss of life.
Eric Dane left the cloak to big establish in TNT's The Ideal Ship, which ended after 5 seasons in November 2018. He presently stars on the HBO series Euphoria with Zendaya, honest to seem within the awaited season three of the series.
Charles Michael Davis as Jason Myers
Have in mind that OGYN resident who Jo dated help in season 9? They bought right into a fight after he learned out about the total things she hadn't advised him, and the fight became physical, touchdown Jason within the sanatorium after he fell and hit his head. Alex delighted him to no longer press bills in opposition to Jo, after which he became once never seen again.
Charles Michael Davis went on to massive establish in The Originals on The CW, then Younger on TV Land, then For the Folks on ABC, and Chicago P.D. on NBC. Most no longer too lengthy ago, he appeared on a 2022 episode of Legacies.
Tina Majorino as Heather Brooks
Quirky intern Heather died in season 10 right thru the mammoth storm, after she became once electrocuted while making an strive to inspire Richard Webber.
Tina Majorino most no longer too lengthy ago appeared on CBS' Scorpion and an episode of The Shining Doctor.
Geena Davis as Nicole Herman
Dr. Herman became Arizona's unreasonably irritating mentor in fetal surgical map, though she appeared plenty more life like when Arizona learned about Nicole's big terminal mind tumor. Amelia mounted the tumor, nonetheless Herman misplaced her eyesight and ended up leaving in season 11. Nonetheless, she returned to inspire Arizona leave the cloak on the damage of season 14 by offering her grant money to open a center for ladies's health in Fresh York.
Geena Davis starred within the Fox series The Exorcist in 2016, before her final return to Gray's. In most up-to-date years, she has had routine roles on Netflix's GLOW and the inviting She-Ra reboot series. Nonetheless, she mostly works as a producer at the moment, govt producing Mission Unstoppable With Miranda Cosgrove.
Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang
Cristina Yang went thru a critically irritating time after the plane wreck, and it took an extraordinarily lengthy time for her to thoroughly increase. Then she misplaced the Harper Avery award, learned that while working at that sanatorium she may well per chance presumably never salvage the award and started to place she may well per chance presumably need to transfer on. Her lengthy ago worship Preston Burke then invited her to Zurich to flee the reducing edge sanatorium he had opened, so he may well per chance presumably retire with his family. She left, after one closing dance social gathering with Meredith, in season 10.
Sandra Oh is presently one in all the very best TV stars, starring as Eve within the critically acclaimed BBC The United States series Killing Eve, for which she has received a Golden Globe. Take care of Geena Davis, she too furthermore has a routine role on Netflix's She-Ra and the Princesses of Energy. She furthermore furthermore lends her pronounce to a persona on Robert Kirkman's inviting series Invincible.
Gaius Charles as Shane Ross
Shane became once the cocky intern became resident who virtually killed himself working too well-known, nonetheless he bought shut to Cristina and requested if he may well per chance presumably discover her to Zurich, which he then did.
Gaius Charles, regularly regularly known as Friday Evening Lights' cherished Smash Williams, starred within the reveals Aquarius and Taken, and most no longer too lengthy ago appeared on The Strolling Unnecessary: Unnecessary Metropolis.
Patrick Dempsey as Derek Shepherd
Derek Shepherd had a tough couple of seasons as he bought a job working for then-President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. and tried to invent Meredith and the family approach with him. She refused they assuredly lived aside for a while, until he made up our minds to invent things wonderful and transfer home to attain the job more remotely.
Good as he and Mer had been elated again in season 11, he became once on his manner help to tie up some free ends and happened upon a gigantic car accident. He spent hours taking care of the victims, easiest to then be hit by a truck as quickly as he bought help into his hang car. The doctors on the sanatorium where the ambulance took him had been unprepared for trauma and failed to assemble a head CT, leading to his loss of life.
Patrick Dempsey mentioned that he left the cloak because “it became once inviting to maintain the storylines provocative” and he mandatory to maintain more time to exhaust with his family, and he requested to be honest freed from his contract early. Since the damage of his time on Gray's, he starred in Bridget Jones' Toddler, a miniseries known as The Truth In regards to the Harry Quebert Affair, the cloak Devils, and commercials where he reminds us he became once once a TV doctor. In the intervening time, he's starring in Dexter: Customary Sin.
He shockingly returned to Gray's for a series of dream sequences in season 17.
Tessa Ferrer as Leah Murphy
Oh Leah Murphy. This unhappy resident went thru many of before getting fired in season 10 because she wonderful wasn't cleave out to be a surgeon. Then out of nowhere, she returned in season 13 to work with Maggie. About a episodes later, wonderful as without discover, she became once long gone again.
Tessa Ferrer furthermore starred within the Hulu adaptation of World War II miniseries Derive-22 with George Clooney in 2019, and Grotesquerie in 2024.
Sara Ramirez as Callie Torres
Callie left Gray Sloan when her a little bit of controversial girlfriend Penny bought a love fellowship in Fresh York. After losing a indubitably devastating custody strive in opposition to with Arizona, she became once going to raise in Seattle, nonetheless Arizona had a replace of heart and sent her on her manner with Sofia on the damage of season 12.
Sara Ramirez left to take a original gig on CBS' Madame Secretary. They maintain got since played the divisive Che Diaz on HBO's Sex and the Metropolis spinoff And Good Take care of That. In 2024, they furthermore voiced Amber in Velma.
Samantha Sloyan as Penelope Blake
Penelope's time at Gray Sloan became once tough from starting up as a lot as produce. She arrived as Callie's original girlfriend with the repute as one in all the doctors who had killed Derek, and learned herself having to work for a grumpy Meredith. Then when she bought a prestigious job in Fresh York and Callie made up our minds to discover her, she trigger off the devastating custody strive in opposition to between Callie and Arizona. Ideal we heard, she and Callie had broken up (therefore Arizona's involving to Fresh York), nonetheless that relationship became once consistently doomed.
Samantha Sloyan went on to massive establish in The Haunting of Hill Dwelling as Leigh, and appeared on reveals resembling SEAL Team and The Rookie. In 2025, she reentered the ER ground by joining The Pitt.
Marika Dominczyk as Eliza Minnick
In Season 13, Minnick arrived to take over for Richard Webber in teaching the residents, nonetheless literally everybody hated her (Meredith even bought suspended over it), and she became once fired when she became once so protocol that she unnoticed to give an clarification for the police that a resident became once unaccounted for right thru a hearth. Stephanie virtually died!
Marika Dominczyk later joined ABC's short-lived Whiskey Cavalier, alongside her husband (and Gray's alum) Scott Foley.
Jerrika Hinton as Stephanie Edwards
Stephanie made up our minds to head off and detect, attempting one thing original on the damage of season 13 after nearly loss of life in a hearth following months of exhaustion and grieving over her dumb boyfriend Kyle (Wilmer Valderrama).
Jerrika Hinton went on to massive establish within the short-lived HBO drama Here and Now in 2018, and furthermore joined the solid of the Amazon series Hunters as a Nazi hunter. In 2024, she appeared as Lycia in The Accused.
Martin Henderson as Nathan Riggs
Nathan left Gray Sloan in early season 14 when his perfect dream got right here acceptable and his fiancee, Megan Hunt, returned from being held captive for a decade. Collectively, they moved to LA with the kid she had adopted while out of the nation. It broke up his blossoming relationship with Meredith, on the opposite hand it became once a heck of a elated ending for Riggs.
Martin Henderson (who, fun reality, appeared in Britney Spears' video for “Toxic”) later appeared within the series Virgin River until 2024.
Source credit : eonline.com
