‘Grey’s Anatomy’: Where These Actors Went After Leaving the Show

On Grey’s Anatomy, numerous stars have graced the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial hospital, but many have left to find success elsewhere.

Some cast members, including Cristina Yang actress Sandra Oh, have gone on to fruitful careers. Oh, for example, now stars in the acclaimed BBC/AMC series Killing Eve in a role that earned her Golden Globe and SAG Awards, among others.

But not every departed member of the cast has seen such success. Take a look at where Grey’s Anatomy’s biggest alums have ended up after leaving the show.

Isaiah Washington

Grey’s Anatomy‘s first series regular departure came after an on-set spat between Washington, Patrick Dempsey and T.R. Knight over the use of a homophobic slur.

A month after ABC released Washington from his contract, NBC cast him in the 2007 reboot of The Bionic Woman, but the series only lasted eight episodes and was cancelled for bad ratings.

After a series of guest acting roles in The Cleaner and Law & Order: LA, Washington was cast in The CW’S The 100 IN 214. However he will be on the market for a new job soon since he was demoted from series regular to guest star in season five.

T.R. Knight

Knight left Grey’s Anatomy at the end of season five after asking to be let out of his contract. After his departure from the series, Knight returned to stage acting. He also appeared in an episode of Law & Order: SVU in 2011, before booking a guest arc on The Good Wife that spanned 2012-13.

He appeared in the 2016 Hulu series 11.22.63, before returning to Shondaland for a guest starring role on the second season of The Catch. He also appeared on ABC’s When We Rise and on the first season of Nat Geo’s Genius.

Kate Walsh

Addison Montgomery also left Grey’s Anatomy at the end of season three, but she stayed in the Shondaland universe by headlining her own show set in Los Angeles, Private Practice.

After six seasons and a happy ending for Addison, the series ended in January 2013. Walsh bounced back quickly with a role in Full Circle, a series created for DirecTV’s Audience Network. She then appeared in a supporting role on the first season of FX’s Fargo and the title role in NBC’s short-lived Bad Judge.

She returned to the spotlight in 2017 playing Katherine Langford’s mother on Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, while also making a hilarious guest appearance in the box office hit Girls Trip.

Katherine Heigl

Heigl left Grey’s Anatomy in a dramatic fashion after alienating herself from creator Shonda Rhimes when she removed her name from Emmy consideration, claiming she didn’t believe the material she’d been given on the show was worthy of consideration. She left in the middle of season six when Heigl failed to show up for work and then requested to be released from her contract.

She appeared in a few films since leaving Grey’s, though none as successful as her first move roles. She staged her return to TV in 2014 with NBC thriller State of Affairs, but it was cancelled after 13 episodes. In 2017, she led the CBS legal drama, Doubt, but that show was also canceled. She will now join USA’s Suits as a series regular, stepping in for departing cast members Meghan Markle and Patrick J. Adams.

Eric Dane

Mark Sloan survived the plane crash, but died months later during the season nine premiere from his injuries. Dane immediately booked a starring role in TNT’s The Last Ship, which premiered in 2014. The series is set to return for a fifth and final season in 2018. Dane also appeared in an episode of Family Guy this year as himself. 

Chyler Leigh

Chyler Leigh exited the show in a dramatic fashion as Lexie Grey was the first victim of the horrific plane crash from the season 8 finale.

Leigh returned to TV two years later in the short-lived summer series Taxi Brooklyn before landing the role of Alex Danvers in Supergirl, currently in its third season.

Patrick Dempsey

Fans were shocked after Dempsey’s Derek Shepherd died following a car accident in season 11. He spent the rest of 2015 focusing on his auto racing before returning to the screen in 2016’s Bridget Jones’s Baby.

Dempsey is set to make his TV return in 2018 with a 10-episode adaptation of the novel The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair, with Dempsey taking on the lead role, on Epix.

Sandra Oh

At the start of season 10, Grey’s Anatomy announced Oh would be leaving he series at the end of the season, and Cristina Yang ended her storyline taking over Presto Burke’s research hospital in Vienna.

Now a series lead on Killing Eve, Oh appeared in the films Tammy, Catfight and Meditation Park, as well as in a role on the third season of ABC’s American Crime.

Jerrika Hinton

A lot of the interns that weren’t in Meredith’s class have come and gone, but Stephanie Edwards deserves her own mention. Not only was she dating Jackson Avery when he interrupted April’s wedding, basically left behind, but the surgical resident almost lost her life when Grey Sloan Memorial caught fire, which eventually prompted her to leave the hospital, and subsequently the series at the end of season 13.

Hinton was cast in the lead role of Shondaland comedy pilot Toast, which did not make it to series, and now stars in Alan Ball’s HBO family drama Here & Now, which has not been renewed for a second season.

Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Sara Ramirez

Ramirez rose to fame playing the role of Callie Torres on the series, and she left the show at the end of season 12, after Callie moves to New York following an ugly custody battle with ex-wife Arizona.

Ramirez took a break from television but continued her voice acting work for Disney’s Sofia the First, and in 2017, the actress joined CBS’ Madam Secretary in a series regular role.