Grey’s Anatomy has been on the air for 20 years now, and after Ellen Pompeo reduced her role in front of the camera a few years ago, only two actors have the privilege of being able to say they’ve been series regulars on all 22 seasons — Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. It’s hard to imagine Grey Sloan Memorial without Miranda Bailey and Richard Webber, but the actress revealed that she actually thought she wouldn’t make it to Season 2.
Bailey made a quick impression on both the new interns and the fans with her “I have five rules” speech in the Grey’s Anatomy series premiere in 2005 (and she continues to be a presence on current episodes airing on the 2025 TV schedule). After that first season, however, Chandra Wilson became pregnant with her third child, and she said on Good Morning America she thought that meant her time on the show was over, recalling:
