The future of Grey’s Anatomy seems to be safe for now, as the medical drama has already been renewed for a 20th season, following the addition of five new interns in Season 19 to re-engage the longtime fans. However, which of our beloved Seattle surgeons will make it to next season feels increasingly up in the air, as Ellen Pompeo stepping down as a series regular was followed by showrunner Krista Vernoff announcing her own exit and Kelly McCreary’s goodbye episode(s) coming April 13.
Several of Grey’s Anatomy’s veteran cast members — including Chandra Wilson, Kevin McKidd, and Kim Raver — have spoken candidly on this very issue, so let’s take a look at where they stand.
Chandra Wilson (Miranda Bailey)
Chandra Wilson is one of the two main actors remaining who have been there from the very beginning. Although her character Miranda has been doing important work this season, there have been threats to her safety. If Wilson has anything to say about it, however, her character isn’t going anywhere. The actress told People in early April:
I used to say, 'I'm there until the wheels fall off until the very, very end, and it can't last that much longer, right?' And then we keep going. For now, I'm challenging myself to be there until the very last episode, the very last day, the very last scene. I said it, so now I've got to get there.
Being with the show for the length of its run has apparently always been the goal — even if nobody could have expected it to be going strong 20 seasons in.
James Pickens Jr. (Richard Webber)
The show’s first chief of surgery, Richard Webber has also been there from the jump. As the man portraying the doctor, James Pickens Jr. maintains that he’ll be around “as long as they want me.” In fact, he told ET at this year’s PaleyFest:
They could probably wheel me out in a wheelchair.
It’s hard to imagine losing any of the characters who have been around for a while, so it’s especially comforting to hear that both of the remaining OGs seem to be happy right where they are.
Kevin McKidd (Owen Hunt)
Kevin McKidd may not have quite as many years under his belt as the previous two stars, but Owen Hunt joined the hospital staff way back in Season 5. In addition to playing the U.S. Army veteran, McKidd has directed a whopping 38 episodes, and he told The Wrap in March that he has no intentions of leaving:
I still love playing the part. I think [Owen is] a challenging and quite polarizing character, which I like. He isn’t perfect and he makes mistakes and he can be strong-willed, but he also has a big heart. You know, he’s a paradox. I love the cast. I love the work environment here. And I’m really, really proud of the show and what it stands for at this point, and the quality that we’ve kept up, so I have no intentions of going anywhere.
Owen’s situation seemed dicey for a while, almost dying when his vehicle went off a cliff and then being forced to run from the law, but the second half of Season 19 has seen him back where he belongs — Grey Sloan's chief of trauma.
Camilla Luddington (Jo Wilson)
Camilla Luddington joined Grey’s Anatomy in Season 9, so she’s aware just how quickly things could change in regards to her role as Jo Wilson. Earlier in Season 19, however, she let everyone know that she’s all-in with the direction the show has taken this season, telling ET:
I am loving this season so much that I'm in it. Quite simply, I'm in it. I also feel like Jo's story has not been completely told yet. It would feel strange to me to walk away at this point. I'm committed. Listen could they kill me off tomorrow, yes. I could be swept away by a tidal wave. It's totally possible. We all know that. If you sign up for the show you know that's a possibility, but me, right now, this season, no I'm not ready to step away.
Jo has had a fun will-they-won’t-they situation going on with her bestie Link (Chris Carmack, more on him later), so it’s not surprising that Camilla Luddington is excited to stick around and see what’s next for her character.
Kim Raver (Teddy Altman)
This season Kim Raver has expanded her role on Grey’s Anatomy, not just with her character being promoted to chief of surgery, but also joining Kevin McKidd and Chandra Wilson as actors who also direct. The opportunity to grow as an artist is keeping her inspired, as she told TV Insider:
I just am trying to stay very in the moment because I feel like I’m having such an amazing time. Because it’s such an established show, I am able to have the opportunity to expand myself as an artist. For example, getting to direct. When you’re just creating a new show and you’re in the first season, there’s so much going on trying to develop and establish that I feel very present the moment that we are in. And I love that we’re looking into Season 20 and I feel like I’m getting to expand as a creative and as an artist in the very place that I’m at.
Kim Raver has been a part of the series since Season 6, but did not appear in Seasons 9-13. Adding new skills to her repertoire seems like a good way to keep things fresh, so hopefully we'll see her step behind the camera again.
Chris Carmack (Atticus Lincoln)
Chris Carmack has been playing “Ortho God” Link since Season 15, and as previously noted, fans have become invested in the potential romance between his character and Jo. When asked in April if he was with Grey’s Anatomy for the long haul, he told ET:
There's always going to be broken bones.
Yes, an astute observation from Chris Carmack. The hospital will, indeed, always need an orthopedic surgeon. However, his response falls a little short of a solid confirmation regarding his future years in that position. Please, Grey’s writers, just promise me one thing: if Link isn’t meant to stick around forever, don’t let him leave Jo in the same cruel way Alex Karev did!
It’s good to hear how many of the longtime cast members remain committed to Grey’s Anatomy, but there are also plenty of actors who have remained mum on the subject. Anthony Hill’s fate as Winston Ndugu is still unknown, and that will likely be addressed in next week’s two-hour event. Debbie Allen, like Ellen Pompeo, is an executive producer on the series, but her character Catherine Fox received some worrisome news earlier this season regarding her cancer, so we also don’t know how much longer she’ll be around.
In the meantime, we’ll continue to enjoy our favorite Seattle medical care professionals for as long as we have them. Grey’s Anatomy airs at 9 p.m. ET on Thursdays on ABC. Season 19 episodes are available for streaming with a Hulu subscription, and the first 18 seasons can be streamed with a Netflix subscription.
