Sara Ramirez Speaks out About Any Regrets Over Leaving ‘Grey’s Anatomy’

It’s been more than a year-and-a-half since Sara Ramirez last took to the small screen as Callie Torres on ABC‘s hit medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, and for the first time, she is claiming that she has no regrets over leaving.

Speaking exclusively to Entertainment Weekly, the actress said that her departure from the show was “absolutely” the right decision.

In her brief break from the industry, Ramirez chose to take a step back and “get even more clear about things that are important to me,” and her time has been well-spent. Over the course of the past year-and-a-half, the 42-year-old actress publicly came out as bisexual, and has spent her time since advocating for LGBT rights, becoming a major voice in the community.

“This past year and a half has taught me how to embrace myself fully, to never ever be afraid to claim my truth and power in spaces, and that bisexual, pansexual, queer-identified women of color, of all genders, or no genders, deserve to exist fully and equally in any and every space with respect to our visibility, representation, dignity, and various intersecting identities,” she said. “It has been a really full year. There were a lot of important events that I got the opportunity to be a part of.”

But her break from the small screen has come to an end, with Ramirez returning to TV as political strategist Kat Sandoval on CBS’ Madam Secretary, a role that is a series regular. But she isn’t completely turned off to the idea of reprising her role on Grey’s Anatomy, stating that, “When Shonda [Rhimes] and I last spoke, we agreed to keep the conversations going, and she knows I’m open to keeping those conversations going.”

Madam Secretary airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on CBS.