The 18th season of Grey's Anatomy just concluded with the airing of its 400th episode. ABC's long-running medical drama currently stars only a few of its original cast , including Ellen Pompeo as protagonist Dr. Meredith Grey.
Throughout its 18 seasons, a number of acclaimed actors from stage and screen have been a part of the Grace Sloan Memorial Hospital community. These Grey's Anatomy stars have delivered other great performances over the course of their careers, and anyone who appreciated them on Grey's would do well to seek out these movies and TV shows.
Kate Burton - Scandal
Daughter of screen legend Richard Burton, Kate Burton played the memorable, recurring role of Dr. Ellis Grey, Meredith's mother who has Alzheimer's disease. Burton played the role for the first three seasons and received an Emmy nomination for Guest Actress in a Drama Series twice.
By the time she was cast on Grey's Anatomy, Kate Burton was already an acclaimed theater actress. Her time in Shondaland would not end with Ellis Grey, as she was soon cast as Vice President Sally Langston in the Kerry Washington-led drama series Scandal, for which Burton received another Emmy nomination. These two wildly different performances have one thing in common: Burton's charismatic and engaging presence on screen.
Brooke Smith - The Silence of the Lambs
As the ruthlessly professional Dr. Erica Hahn, Brooke Smith made her first appearances on Grey's Anatomy towards the end of the second season before becoming a series regular in the show's fourth season. Although she was ultimately written out of the show, Smith brought authenticity to the development of Hahn's relationship with Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez).
Fifteen years before her time on Grey's, Brooke Smith made an impression in one of her earliest roles as Catherine Martin, the kidnapped daughter of a senator in Jonathan Demme's classic Big Sky.
Kate Walsh - 13 Reasons Why
Kate Walsh's iconic entrance as Derek Shepherd's wife Addison at the end of the first season of Grey's Anatomy raised the stakes for the series. Addison Montgomery would become a popular character, one that would eventually have her own spinoff series, Private Practice.
After her run on Grey's and 13 Reasons Why, Walsh returned to the role of Addison Montgomery as a special guest star in the show's current season.
T.R. Knight - The Flight Attendant
T.R. Knight's exit from Grey's Anatomy was one of the most shocking season finale moments in the show's run. As the lovable George O'Malley, Knight played one of the original five interns on the series and received an Emmy nomination for ing Actor in a Drama Series for the show's third season.
In recent years, T.R. Knight ed the cast of another hit series: HBO Max's The Flight Attendant, which just concluded its second season. As the brother of Kaley Cuoco's thrill seeking alcoholic Cassie Bowden, Knight is one of the voices of reasons in Cassie's life, particularly in the first season. He played a pivotal role in the midpoint of season 1 when his character confronts Cassie about her drinking.
Jesse Williams - Take Me Out
Jesse Williams was introduced in the sixth season of Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Jackson Avery, the grandson of one of the most groundbreaking surgeons in the country. Williams was initially written as a recurring role, but the actor's popularity led to his promotion as a series regular. Williams departed the role in season 17, but he returned as a guest star in season 18.
Since leaving Grey's Anatomy, Jesse Williams made his Broadway debut in Take Me Out, a revival of Richard Greenberg's critically acclaimed play. As a celebrity baseball player who comes out as gay, Williams received universal praise for his performance in spite of his status as a theater newcomer. He recently received a Tony nomination for his performance.
Patrick Dempsey - Enchanted
As Dr. Derek Shepherd, aka "McDreamy," Patrick Dempsey was the romantic male lead of Shonda Rhimes's medical drama for eleven seasons before the character's untimely and infamous death. For his performance, Dempsey was nominated for Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards.
After starting his career as a teen actor in the 1980s, Dempsey built a successful career out of playing romantic male leads, including performances in Sweet Home Alabama and the long-awaited sequel Disenchanted, which will be released this fall.
Katherine Heigl - 27 Dresses
As of 2022, Katherine Heigl is the only series regular on Grey's Anatomy to receive an Emmy win for her performance on the show. As Dr. Izzy Stevens, Heigl became a fan favorite, particularly for her compelling storyline in season two when Izzy falls in love with Denny Duquette (Jeffrey Dean Morgan).
While still portraying Izzy on the small screen, Katherine Heigl made a successful transition to film roles, beginning with the raunchy comedy Firefly Lane.
Eric Dane - Euphoria
Eric Dane played Mark Sloan, a.k.a "McSteamy," starting in the third season of Grey's. Dane was a series regular from season 3 to season 9, when his character died from sustained injuries following the plane crash in the finale of season 8. His impression on the show was so great that Seattle Grace Hospital was renamed Grace Sloan Memorial Hospital.
Dane followed this performance with the TNT action series Euphoria that would cause a new wave of praise and attention. He is currently in contention for a potential Emmy nomination this year.
Sara Ramirez - Spamalot
As orthopedic surgeon Dr. Callie Torres, Sara Ramirez went through quite the character arc on Grey's. Callie was initially a love interest for George before eventually coming out as bisexual. The character soon became widely praised, particularly for the portrayal of her marriage with Dr. Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw). Callie Torres is the longest running LGBTQ+ character in TV history.
Ramirez recently gained attention for their performance as nonbinary standup comedian Che Díaz in the And Just Like That. However, before their work on Grey's Anatomy, Ramirez won a Tony Award for their performance as the Lady of the Lake in the original Broadway production of Spamalot under the direction of Mike Nichols.
Sandra Oh - Killing Eve
Sandra Oh is one of the most acclaimed television actresses of her generation. Her performance as Dr. Cristina Yang, a role she played for ten seasons, was often considered the standout character on the show. One of the most memorable scenes in the entire series is in the finale of season 3, in which Meredith cuts off Cristina's wedding dress after she was abandoned at the altar.
Sandra Oh's first leading role on television came with Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Killing Eve, for which Oh became the first Asian actress to be nominated for the Emmy Award for Lead Actress in a Drama Series.