Less than a year after she left Grey’s Anatomy as the show’s main character, Ellen Pompeo is making a return to the long-running series.
In the promo for Grey’s Anatomy season 20, Pompeo is seen reprising her role as Meredith Grey as she returns to Grey Sloan Memorial. “How long do I have to wait?” Meredith declares before a scene shift to surgical intern gearing up for another day at the hospital. “What are you waiting for? Let’s go,” Chandra Wilson’s Miranda Bailey yells.
As she and Meredith walk down a hospital hallway, Miranda says, “The interns are in trouble.”
According to PEOPLE, the promo picks up where Grey’s Anatomy season 19 left off. It gives some insight into last season’s cliffhangers.
Along with the appearance of Pompeo, the promo showed Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) and Atticus Lincoln (Chris Carmack) as they developed a romance. It also showed Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) struggling with his sobriety. Simone Griffith (Alexis Floyd) is seen talking to Lucas Adams (Niko Terho) about their hookup.
Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) collapses during an operation just after complaining about a toothache. Winston Ndugu (Anthony Hills) stated she was in critical condition.
Ellen Pompeo Says She’s Planning on Making ‘Some Appearances’ on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ in the Next Year
During Variety’s Actors on Actors series, Ellen Pompeo spoke to her former Grey’s Anatomy co-star Katherine Heigl about her future appearances on the show.
“I will be making some appearances hopefully next year,” Pompeo explained. “If I can find some time. It’s not a complete goodbye. And I think we’ve got an interesting story to tell.”
Along with Pompeo, Grey’s Anatomy fans had to say goodbye to Kell McCreary, who played Maggie Pierce on the show since season 11. In a statement, McCreary stated It had been a tremendous honor to be part of such a legendary television institution.
“I will always be grateful to Shonda Rhimes, Krista Vernoff, and ABC for the opportunity,” McCreary stated. “And to the incredible fans for their passionate support. To spend nine years exploring a character inside and out, while reaching a global audience with impactful stories, is a rare gift. It has afforded me an opportunity to collaborate with, learn from, and be inspired by countless brilliant artists both in front of and behind the camera.”
McCreary added that playing Maggie has been one of the true joys of her life. “I leave with profound gratitude for every step of this journey. I am excited for this next chapter, and what the future holds.”