When you make a purchase through links in our articles, Future and its distribution partners may earn a commission.
Photo: Anne Marie Fox/Disney
В the TV series "Grey's Anatomy"« There are quite a few regular cast members, and because of that, along with budget cuts at ABC, the long-running medical drama is facing episode reductions and cast departures. So, when a character is written off—as happened to Monica Beltran, Teddy Altman, and Owen Hunt in Season 22—when and how do people find out? Jason George explained the process, and some things shocked me.
In the finale of season 22 «Grey's Anatomy» There were some unexpected plot twists, but it wasn't a surprise when Kim Raver and Kevin McKidd's characters said goodbye at the end of "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Their departures had been confirmed long beforehand, and Jason George, who plays Ben Warren, said the writers try to handle such situations as delicately as possible. In an interview with US Weekly, he said:
They're not afraid to make difficult decisions about the story to keep it as fresh and vibrant as possible. But they do so with respect.
So, at what point in the process does showrunner Meg Marinis call an actor whose character might be written out of the show? I was surprised by what Jason George said:
As soon as you can—as soon as you think about it—they'll call you and talk to you. I remember getting a call asking me to be in a Station 19 spinoff. I thought it was a call to say, "Sorry, man, we're writing Ben off the show.".
Luckily for Jason George, Ben Warren was not only not written out of the series «Grey's Anatomy» , but they also allowed me to return to the series after it closed. «Station 19» . I'm surprised that actors are notified so early that their character could be in jeopardy, and even more shocking that not all shows respect their actors equally. George said:
I'm grateful because there are times in Hollywood—you've heard the stories—when you find out you're leaving the set while still in the table read. It's completely unexpected. I appreciate that my bosses try to be as respectful as possible in that regard.
I just can't imagine how awful it would be to be sitting in a room with your coworkers, and suddenly everyone suddenly finds out you've just been fired. How awkward! However, as Jason George said, such stories do happen.
Last year, in the spin-off series «Yellowstone» under the title "1923"« Seven characters died in one episode, and the actors say they only learned about it after reading the script. Compare this to the experience of a former actress. TV series "Grey's Anatomy"« Natalie Morales after the explosive finale of Season 21. The showrunner called her and asked if she would return for the Season 22 premiere, and that's when she learned Monica would be killed off.
We're talking about people's livelihoods, so of course, we'd like to see these issues handled as sensitively as possible. It's nice to hear Jason George say that's exactly how things are in «Grey's Anatomy» .
Ben Warren's fate is clear heading into Season 23, so we're eagerly awaiting his arrival—and the upcoming spinoff. «Grey's Anatomy» In Texas, it's set to air this fall in 2026. In the meantime, you can watch all 22 seasons of the medical drama by subscribing to Hulu or Netflix (where the recently concluded season will be available starting June 5).