Grey’s Anatomy cast members Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew will be departing the medical drama at the end of the current season.
Capshaw has been on the show for 10 seasons, nine as a series regular playing Dr. Arizona Robbins. She joined the show in Season 5 before becoming a series regular in Season 6.
Drew has been on Grey’s Anatomy for nine seasons, eight of them as a series regular, playing Dr. April Kepner. She joined the show in Season 6 as a transfer from Mercy West but later became a series regular in Season 7.
READ MORE: Ellen Pompeo signs on for more ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ at $20M per year
“It’s always hard for me to say goodbye to any of my characters,” Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes said of the characters. “Both Arizona Robbins and April Kepner are not only beloved but iconic — both the LBGTQ and devout Christian communities are underrepresented on TV. I will be forever grateful to both Jessica and Sarah for bringing these characters to life with such vibrant performance and for inspiring women around the globe. They will always be a part of our Shondaland family.”
“The characters of Arizona and April are permanently woven into the fabric of Grey’s Anatomy thanks to the extraordinary work of Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew. As writers, our job is to follow the stories where they want to go and sometimes that means saying goodbye to characters we love. It has been a joy and a privilege to work with these phenomenally talented actresses,” executive producer Krista Vernoff added.
Deadline reports that the decision was made by the producers ahead of the potential 15th season of the medical drama. The show has not been officially renewed yet.
READ MORE: Canadian ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star Caterina Scorsone claims James Toback sexually harassed her
Drew took to Twitter to post a message to her fans shortly after the news broke of her exit from the show.
“Thank you for all of the love,” she wrote. “I know you’re sad. I’m sad too. I haven’t really had the time to process this information. I’ve been with it for less than 48 hours, so I’m not ready to say my thank yous and give an all encompassing statement about my 9 years here. That will come later. For now, I’d like to say: I love you, and I love April, and her story isn’t over yet. And the really good news (for me, at least) is that I’m here on set shadowing one of my favorite people, Kevin McKidd, with my beloved Grey’s family all this week and next, so I get to process all of my feelings surrounded by the community that has nourished and nurtured me for almost a decade. For that, I am grateful.”
Capshaw also posted a message on Twitter: “For the past 10 years, I have had the rare privilege of not only playing Arizona Robbins, but also being madly in love with playing her. Arizona Robbins is kind, intelligent, funny, insightful, bold, playful, fierce and really good at her job. She was one of the first members of the LGBTQ community to be represented in a series regular role on network television.”
Her message continued: “Her impact on the world is permanent and forever. Forever. I am grateful that I have gotten to bring her to life and for the life that she has brought to me. I am sad to see her go, but I am consoled by the idea that she will continue to live on and on in all of our consciences and our imaginations. Shonda, thank you for the ride on this incredible rollercoaster. With a heart full of love, Jessica.”
READ MORE: ‘America’s Got Talent’ producer, NBCU sued for wrongful death of woman in wheelchair
Many fans of Grey’s Anatomy took to Twitter to discuss the exit of the two characters.
The news comes shortly after Ellen Pompeo signed a new two-year deal with ABC Studios, renewing her contract on Grey’s Anatomy through Season 15 and 16. The deal makes Pompeo the highest-paid actress on a prime-time drama.
Comments