When we talk about drama shows, more specifically medical dramas, Grey’s Anatomy is one of the most loved and watched TV shows in the genre. The show has been running for 21 seasons, and the next season has already been announced and is in the works. Since this show has been running for over two decades, the characters have aged, and some of them have left the show as well. So, if you are wondering where the cast of Grey’s Anatomy is right now, you can find all your answers here.
1. Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey
Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo, was introduced as an intern at Seattle Grace Hospital in the first episode of Grey’s Anatomy. In the first episode itself, we see Grey have a fling with Derek Shepherd, only to find out later that he was not only her co-worker but also her direct superior.
Throughout the show, Meredith has gone through a lot of stuff, which is evident by the duration for which she has been on the show. Most of Ellen’s career has revolved around Grey’s Anatomy, and she has not worked on a lot of other projects. Moreover, Ellen Pompeo will once again return for Grey’s Anatomy Season 22. Other than this, she is set to star and produce an upcoming series on Hulu.
2. James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber
Richard Webber has been a recurring character in Grey’s Anatomy since the first season. Played by James Pickens Jr., he is the former chief of surgery and was the first one to recognise Meredith’s talents as well as her lineage, since Richard had worked with Meredith’s mother, Ellis Grey.
Richard has been through a lot in the series. He had lost his wife, became an alcoholic, and was even fired from the hospital for committing tax fraud before getting his job back. Pickens Jr. has been a recurring character on the show since it first aired. But even after that, he made appearances in other TV shows as well, such as Yellowstone, The X-Files, and The Conners, while he was actively working on Grey’s Anatomy.
3. Justin Chambers as Alex Karev
Justin Chambers appeared in Grey’s Anatomy as Alex Karev, an extremely unlikeable intern in the beginning, but eventually, he redeemed his character to quite an extent throughout the series. However, his redemption did not last long after he abandoned everything, including his wife and kids.
Justin left the series in 2020, and since then, has not worked on a lot of shows or movies except for The Offer and Accused.
4. Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey
Wilson appears in Grey’s Anatomy as Miranda Bailey, the Chief of Surgery at the Seattle Grace Hospital. Even though she appears to be extremely tough and strict on her interns, she cares a lot about the people who work under her and is constantly trying to work in their best interest.
While working on Grey’s Anatomy, she has also appeared on A Single Woman (2008), Frankie & Alice (2010), and Christmas Harmony (2018). Now, she will most likely reprise her role in Grey’s Anatomy’s upcoming season.
5. Patrick Dempsey as Derek Shepherd
Dempsey appeared in the Grey’s Anatomy cast as Derek Shepherd, also known by the nickname of Dr. McDreamy. In the first episode, Derek Shepherd had a fling with Meredith, and eventually, they started a romantic relationship. However, Dempsey’s character was killed in a car accident in Season 11 of the series.
Following his departure from the show, Dempsey appeared in the Italian series titled Devils and Baby (2016) and in the Disney movie Disenchanted (2022). Most recently, the actor was seen in Ferrari (2023).
6. Sara Ramirez as Callie Torres
Sara Ramírez appeared in Grey’s Anatomy as a surgical resident named Callie Torres who popped back George O’Malley’s dislocated shoulder. She was a part of the series for 10 seasons before her character moved to New York City. She left the series in 2016 and has since appeared in Madam Secretary (2017) and later in And Just Like That… (2021).
7. Eric Dane as Mark Sloan
Eric Dane appeared as Mark Sloan in Grey’s Anatomy and was instantly given the nickname of Dr. McSteamy. He had a strained relationship with Derek because he tried to flirt with Meredith. He survived a plane crash that killed the woman he loved, but ultimately, his character died in the first episode of Season 9.
Since leaving Grey’s Anatomy’s cast, Dane has appeared in The Last Ship(2018), The Ravine (2021), Redeeming Love (2022), American Carnage (2022), and most recently in Little Dixie (2023).
8. Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang
Sandra Oh first appeared as Cristina Yang, an intern who later became Meredith’s best friend. Sandra Oh left the Grey’s Anatomy cast in 2014 and confirmed that she is still open to appearing in the show if she is called back.
After leaving the show, she continued to find success on television when she appeared in Killing Eve, earning her a second Golden Globe Award. She then voiced several characters in animated movies, appearing in Over the Moon (2020), Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), and Turning Red (2022).
9. Chyler Leigh as Lexie Grey
Chyler Leigh appeared as Lexie Grey in Grey’s Anatomy. She is the half sister of Meredith and joined Seattle Grace as an intern. She indulged in a romantic relationship with Mark Sloan, but it was short-lived since both of them were in a plane crash, which killed Lexie in Season 8. After she departed from Grey’s Anatomy, Chyler has appeared in Supergirl and The Flash.
10. T. R. Knight as George O’Malley
T. R. Knight appeared in Grey’s Anatomy as George O’Malley, who was also an intern at the Seattle Grace Hospital and was in love with Meredith. Even though he was a beloved character in the series, his tenure was short-lived. O’Malley died in Season 6 due to injuries he received in a bus accident.
After his tenure in Grey’s Anatomy came to an end, he has appeared in several popular shows such as The Good Wife, 11.22.63, The Catch, When We Rise, Genius: Einstein, and Genius: Picasso.
11. Katherine Heigl as Isobel “Izzie” Stevens
Katherine Heigl appears in the cast of Grey’s Anatomy as Isobel “Izzie” Stevens, who started at the hospital as an intern and has seen the most growth as a person since she grew up poor and paid off her medical school bills by modelling. She has seen both good and bad days. She later married Alex, but was fired from Seattle Grace after a merger with Mercy West hospital in season 6, marking the end of the road for her.
After she left the Grey’s Anatomy cast, she has worked on State of Affairs, Doubt, Suits, and Firefly Lane. She has also worked on movies such as Killers (2010), Life as We Know It (2010), New Year’s Eve (2011), One for the Money (2012), and Unforgettable (2017). She also lent her voice to certain characters in animated movies like The Nut Job (2014) and The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature (2017).
12. Isaiah Washington as Preston Burke
Preston Burke is a talented cardiothoracic surgeon who has been a part of the show since the first season of Grey’s Anatomy. He is known for being extra tough on George to use him as an example so that other interns at the hospital stay in line. He departed the show in 2007, but he didn’t leave the show on his own free will; but was fired for using a homophobic slur towards one of her castmates.
Even though he was fired with this allegation, he continued working in the industry and has been seen in CW’s The 100 and P-Valley. He has also worked in a movie titled Corsicana (2022).
13. Kevin McKidd as Owen Hunt
Kevin McKidd appeared in Grey’s Anatomy as Owen Hunt, who had worked as a field doctor in the Army. However, he suffered from serious PTSD after his time in Iraq. We have seen his story evolve in the show, and he eventually married Teddy Altman in Season 18.
While working on Grey’s Anatomy, Kevin McKidd also appeared in movies such as Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010), Home Sweet Hell (2015), and Tulip Fever (2017). The actor also appeared in Brave (2012) and voiced Lord MacGuffin and Reptillus Maximus in the ABC special, Toy Story That Time Forgot (2014). He also voiced Fenn Rau on Star Wars Rebels.
14. Camilla Luddington as Jo Wilson
Initially appearing as a recurring side character in Grey’s Anatomy Season 9, she became a series regular in future seasons. She was a domestic violence survivor, which impacted her character a lot in the story. However, after her abusive husband passed away, she married Alex.
She has also been the voice of Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider video games and appeared in The Pact II (2014) and The Healer (2016) alongside her role in Grey’s Anatomy.
15. Jesse Williams as Jackson Avery
Jesse Williams first appeared in Grey’s Anatomy in season 6 before he became a regular character on the show. He was a plastic surgeon and the grandson of the world-renowned surgeon Harper Avery. However, his character left the show after Grey’s Anatomy Season 12 but returned in 2022 in guest appearances.
After he was done with Grey’s Anatomy, Jesse Williams appeared in multiple movies such as The Cabin in the Woods (2012), The Butler (2013), Snake and Mongoose (2013), and Random Acts of Violence (2019), and also bagged a recurring role on Station 19’s Season 3.
17. Sarah Drew as April Kepner
Sarah Drew appears as April Kepner in the Grey’s Anatomy cast. She was the attending trauma surgeon and had an on-and-off relationship with Jackson. Her character appeared last in Season 14 of Grey’s Anatomy, and even after she departed the show, she had guest appearances in seasons 17 and 18.
Sarah Drew also appeared in several movies post Grey’s Anatomy, like Christmas Pen Pals (2018), Twinkle All the Way (2019), Christmas in Vienna (2020), One Summer (2021), and Reindeer Games Homecoming (2022).
18. Jessica Capshaw as Arizona Robbins
Jessica Capshaw appeared in Grey’s Anatomy as Arizona Robbins. She had a rather stable but unstable relationship with Callie, and they faced a lot of problems in their marriage. But they eventually got over their issues and then moved to New York City. After appearing in 10 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy and she took up roles in Holidate (2020) and Dear Zoe (2022). She also appeared in a guest role in the series Tell Me Lies.
19. Caterina Scorsone as Amelia Shepherd
Initially, Caterina Scorsone was not a part of the Grey’s Anatomy cast but instead starred in Season 3 of a spin-off series titled Private Practice. She then appeared as a guest star in seasons 7 and 8 of Grey’s Anatomy before joining the main cast in season 10.
She was Derek’s youngest sister, who was recovering from a drug addiction. While working on the series, she also appeared in The November Man (2014) and Station 19 (2018).
20. Kelly McCreary as Maggie Pierce
Kelly McCreary also appeared as a guest star in Grey’s Anatomy but later became a series regular. She appears as a prodigy who passed medical school at the age of 19 and then proceeded to become the head of cardiothoracic surgery at the age of 27.
While appearing in Grey’s Anatomy, she also starred in Station 19 (2018) as Margaret, and lent her voice to the animated series, Harvey Girls Forever! She has movie credits under her belt for Life (2015) and 88 (2022) as well.
21. Kim Raver as Teddy Altman
Kim Raver appeared in Grey’s Anatomy as Teddy Altman with a significantly low screen time in the three seasons she was part of the cast as the attending cardiothoracic surgeon. She was involved in a love triangle between Cristina and Owen. Initially, she bid farewell to the series in season 8, but she later returned in season 14 and became a series regular.
She departed from the show in 2012 again and was then seen in Revolution and 24: Live Another Day, and Full Circle. However, she once again returned in season 19 and will probably reprise her role in the upcoming season as well.
