Here’s an update on Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey, and more of the medical drama’s stars.
Rhimes and company’s secret weapon has been their knack for casting.
That’s all thanks toGrey’s Anatomy, where she plays the titular character, Dr. Meredith Grey.
(From left to right) James Pickens Jr., Chandra Wilson, Justin Chambers, Katherine Heigl, T.R. Knight, Sandra Oh, Isaiah Washington, Ellen Pompeo, and Patrick Dempsey on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’.Credit:Frank Ockenfels/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
I just love them.
Pompeo has been part ofGrey’s Anatomysince its start in 2005.
For a while, it looked like she might never cease her full-time commitment to the show.
Ellen Pompeo on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’; Ellen Pompeo.Liliane Lathan/ABC via Getty; Neilson Barnard/Getty
This is my set.
Who are you telling?"
She was later met with media scrutiny over her attitude toward Washington.
Patrick Dempsey on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’; Patrick Dempsey.Randy Holmes/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty
The actor married music producer Chris Ivery in 2007.
Fans will always remember when his character was shockingly killed off in season 11.
“I knew it would be heavy like that.
Sandra Oh on ‘Grey’s Anatomy; Sandra Oh.Randy Holmes/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Alberto Rodriguez/Variety via Getty
I didn’t realize untilwe did our interviewthat it was really over,” he said.
Longtime fans also enjoyed his turn in Disney’sDisenchanted(2022), reprising his role fromEnchanted(2007).
He later married Jillian Fink in 1999, with whom he shares three children.
Katherine Heigl on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’; Katherine Heigl.Bob D’Amico/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Frazer Harrison/Getty
The couple nearly divorced in 2015, but they reconciled the following year.
Oh played the hard worker and fierce friend of Meredith Grey for 10 seasons.
Even after Oh leftGreys Anatomyin 2014, fans still wondered if she would ever return.
Justin Chambers on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’; Justin Chambers.Ron Tom/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Gilbert Flores/Variety/Penske Media via Getty
“It’s so funny.
It means a lot to me.”
She also racked up a whopping 11 Emmy nominations between the two shows.
T.R. Knight on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’; T.R. Knight.Bob D’Amico/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty
Oh was previously married to herSidewaysdirectorAlexander Paynefrom 2003 to 2006.
She started with the originalGrey’s Anatomycast in 2005 as Dr. Izzie Stevens.
This led to a public perception that Heigl was a diva.
Chandra Wilson on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’; Chandra Wilson.Liliane Lathan/ABC via Getty; Kevin Mazur/Getty
She left the series shortly thereafter in season 6 and later expressed regrets about the ordeal.
“I am disappointed in myself for allowing that perception to exist,“she told EW in 2010.
She also starred on and produced NetflixsFirefly Lane.
James Pickens Jr. on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’; James Pickens Jr.Getty; Neilson Barnard/Getty
She’ll soon star in the musical filmThats AmoreoppositeJohn Travolta.
Heigl married singer Josh Kelley in 2007, and they share three children.
Heigl has received awards for her activism surrounding adoption, animal welfare, and cancer awareness.
Isaiah Washington on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’; Isaiah Washington.Frank Ockenfels/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Earl Gibson III/Getty
Chambers played the role for 14 years, which is no small feat.
I like having a job.
I like the people I work with.
Kate Walsh on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’; Kate Walsh.Liliane Lathan/ABC via Getty; Marc Piasecki/WireImage
My boss is awesome.
I’ve got nowhere better to be.
This is where I’m supposed to be, and I’m enjoying it.”
Sara Ramírez on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’; Sara Ramírez.Adam Taylor/Walt Disney Television via Getty; Bryan Bedder/Variety/Penske Media via Getty
Eventually, Chambersdidhave somewhere better to be.
He’s been married to former model agency booker Keisha Chambers since 1993.
They have five children together.
Eric Dane on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’; Eric Dane.Richard Cartwright/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Jamie Schwaberow/Getty
“There are a lot of people who would like to be in my position.
But in the end, I need to be fulfilled in my work.”
Knight has been married to dancer Patrick B. Leahy since 2013.
Chyler Leigh on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’; Chyler Leigh.Bob D’Amico/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Vivien Killilea/Getty
“It’s not even anxiety.
It’s just the reality of what we do.
I never get so comfortable that I ever forget that,“Wilson told EW in 2010.
Kevin McKidd on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’; Kevin McKidd.Raymond Liu/ABC via Getty; Anna Webber/Variety via Getty
“What we do as actors is really about decisions that get made in rooms with desks.
She has three children with her longtime partner.
She is also an advocate for treating substance abuse and mental health disorders.
Jessica Capshaw on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’; Jessica Capshaw.John Fleenor/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty; Roy Rochlin/Getty
Pickens Jr. is married to former Musique member Gina Taylor, with whom he shares two children.
He went on to recur on shows likeSurvivor’s RemorseandP-Valleyand hosted a travel show in 2020 on Fox Nation.
Washington has been married to his wife, Jenisa Garland, since 1996; they have three children together.
Camilla Luddington on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’; Camilla Luddington.Steven Baffo/ABC via Getty; Michael Tullberg/FilmMagic
She began starring on the medical drama in 2005 as neonatal surgeon Dr. Addison Montgomery.
That runaway success might have surprised some actors, but not Walsh.
Shetold PEOPLE in 2021that she had a premonition thatGrey’s Anatomywas destined for greatness.
Caterina Scorsone on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’; Caterina Scorsone.Raymond Liu/ABC via Getty; Tom Cooper/Getty
“Sometimes I do feel like I get a little witchy about things,” she said.
“I was like, ‘This is a great show.’
Even before it even had an airtime…And here we are…Seven years later.
It definitely changed my life.”
In many ways, Addison was a character that Walsh just couldnt quit.
She stopped appearing regularly onGrey’s Anatomyafter season 3, though she still returned for occasional episodes.
In 2021, she officially rejoined theGrey’scast in a guest starring role.
Walsh was married to Alex Young from 2007 to 2010.
She is currently engaged to Andrew Nixon, whom shemet on an exciting expeditionto the Antarctic.
They followed this success with an 11-season stint as Dr. Callie Torres, an orthopedic resident turned attending surgeon.
Dr. Torres thus became an early marker of queer representation on primetime television.
I will always have a soft tender place in my heart for that work family and that role.
It was the role of a lifetime.”
After leavingGreys Anatomyin 2016, Ramirez played political strategist Kat Sandoval onMadam Secretaryand Che Diaz onAnd Just Like That.
They also lent their voice to DisneysSofia the Firstfrom 2012 to 2018.
Ramirez married Ryan DeBolt in 2012.
The couple later separated in 2021 anddivorced in 2024.
Dane leftGrey’s Anatomyin 2012 to focus on other projects, including playing Tom Chandler on TNTsThe Last Ship.
“I loved doingGreys Anatomy.
The actor has since made waves by playing the complicated and sinister Cal Jacobs on HBO’sEuphoria.
Danemarried actress Rebecca Gayheartin 2004.
They have two children together.
Gayheart later filed for divorce in 2018, though she petitioned to dismiss the filing in March 2025.
She also has a dizzying relationship with Eric Dane’s Mark Sloan throughout her tenure.
“To be part of that was obviously very special,“Leigh told PEOPLE in 2021.
Kind of bring a little life back to it…
It was a special experience to be able to be part of that.”
The actress’ biggest role post-Grey’shas been playing Alex Danvers on the CW dramaSupergirl.
As the titular heroine’s sister, she also appeared in other Arrowverse shows likeLegends of TomorrowandThe Flash.
She currently stars in and produces the Hallmark Channel seriesThe Way Home.
Leigh has been married to Nathan West since 2002.
They have three children together.
He then took on historical shows like the miniseriesAnna Kareninaand the period dramaRome.
ButGrey’s Anatomyhas been his biggest project to date.
“He’s a good guy.
He has two children from each marriage and is currentlydating actress Danielle Savre.
Fans were surprised when Capshaw’s character lost a leg, as was the actor herself.
“It was something I’d never even pondered, which is why she’s the master storyteller.
It took me a while to wrap my head around.”
The actress married entrepreneur Christopher Gavigan in 2004.
They have four children together.
She is the daughter of actress Kate Capshaw and stepdaughter of directorSteven Spielberg.
“The writers always have storylines that are so surprising and change everything.
There’s no element of, ‘Ugh, how do I keep this interesting for myself?'”
When I started off, I was dating my now husband.
It’s like growing with a buddy.
That’s the surprising part of the experience, when you sit with somebody for that long.
You’re so invested.”
In 2019, Luddington married Matthew Alan, with whom she is raising two children.
Dressup orPower Play).
What’s more, the character appeared in five episodes ofStation 19.
Scorsone was married to Rob Giles from 2009 to 2020.
