Although Grey’s Anatomy surprised fans with the news that Ellen Pompeo’s role will be reduced during Season 19, viewers continue to be dedicated to the hundreds of doctors who have worked at Seattle Grace at one point or another. Different cases, patients, love stories, deaths, and marriages have kept the audience on edge for nearly two decades. Many times these storylines were enhanced by the wide range of actors who joined the show.
From doctors to patients and family members, Grey’s Anatomy has seen some of the most talented people in the industry walk the halls of Seattle Grace. Every character has left their mark on the hospital and the fans’ hearts.
E.R. Fightmaster
From the beginning, E.R. Fightmaster made history, joining Grey’s Anatomy as the first non-binary doctor. They attracted the queer fanbase and helped many viewers feel seen as representation continued to expand on the show.
Although Fightmaster was a recurring character from the moment they joined, their relationship with Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) has thrown Kai on a roller coaster of emotions, coming and going between states. Fans hope to see them come back to Seattle Grace Hospital soon.
Geena Davis
Season 11 of Grey’s Anatomy introduced viewers and Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw) to Dr. Nicole Herman (Geena Davis). She became Head of Fetal Surgery at Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital, taking Robbins under her wing. Throughout the episodes, fans discovered Herman had a tumor and tried to teach Arizona everything she knew.
It is Amelia who performs surgery on Herman. Although it was successful, Nicole lost her vision and left the show. A few seasons later, she returned to convince Robbins to join her in New York. Herman was a knowledgeable, fun character who left fans wanting more.
Constance Zimmer
Constance Zimmer makes whatever show she joins better as she brings her talent, passion, and soul into the role she gets to play for as many episodes as they let her. That is exactly what she did when she joined Grey’s Anatomy Season 9 as Alana Cahill.
As a Physician Advisor, Cahill was brought on to help the hospital avoid bankruptcy. Although her character didn’t sit well with some other characters, fans loved watching what Zimmer brought to Cahill’s personality. It would be interesting to see her return as the hospital tries to save its teaching program.
Christina Ricci
Christina Ricci joined Grey’s Anatomy for one of the show’s most memorable episodes: the two-part storyline from Season 2, Episode 16, “It’s The End of The World,” and Episode 17, “As We Know It.” Ricci portrayed Hannah Davis, a paramedic who found herself using her hand to stop a patient’s bleeding, only to realize she was holding a bomb inside the patient.
This storyline became famous because Davis ran out of the OR, leaving Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) to hold the bomb. Ricci’s performance was outstanding, and it would be interesting to see whether Davis continued her career as a paramedic or chose another path after the incident.
Abigail Breslin
Abigail Breslin has been surprising audiences with her talent since she was a very young girl. She sure did that when she joined Grey’s Anatomy during Season 3 as Megan Clover, the girl who felt no pain.
Her storyline was very interesting and allowed the fans to see glimpses of what Alex Karev's (Justin Chambers) career would be as a Peds Surgeon. He showed he cared about the little girl and wanted to help her as he thought she was being abused. With her talent and charm, Breslin made everyone fall in love with Megan. Where is this pain-resistant girl now?
Demi Lovato
Just like Abigail Breslin, Demi Lovato has been in front of the cameras since she was a young girl. And just like Breslin’s character, Lovato’s role, Hayley May, allowed fans to better understand Karev as a doctor and his bright future as a Pediatric Surgeon.
Hayley May’s case touched upon a recurring topic on Grey’s Anatomy: patients who receive the wrong diagnosis. She was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia to discover later she had Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome, which was treated during surgery.
Hilarie Burton
Lauren Boswell’s (Hilarie Burton) introduction to Grey’s Anatomy was unpleasant to fans of Calzona. Burton’s character came in hot, immediately flirting with Arizona Robbins. After a successful surgery and power outage, Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) found out her wife had slept with Dr. Boswell.
Although the cheating didn’t sit well with the audience, many still enjoyed Burton’s appearance as her character brought a different energy to the cast. Boswell seemed to be an energetic, joyful, and talented surgeon that could have had a better storyline had she not slept with Arizona.
Abigail Spencer
Although Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) is a controversial character as some fans love him and some hate him, one thing everyone can agree on: they love his sister. Abigail Spencer took over the portrayal of Megan Hunt during Season 14, and fans have loved her ever since.
During Season 18, she returned to Grey-Sloan Memorial as her son, Farouk, was sick and needed a transplant. For a few episodes, the audience was happy to see her back but suffering with her as she waited for her son to get better. Megan Hunt’s appearances are always accepted happily on the show.
Holly Marie Combs
Heidi Peterson (Holly Marie Combs) showed up at the hospital with her sister Haylee (Alyssa Milano), bringing a long-awaited Charmed reunion. They also brought a chaotic case that led to Dr. Webber (James Pickens Jr.) unplugging the wrong woman.
As sad as the case may sound, the two sisters were hilarious throughout the episode, making fans enjoy an otherwise sad episode. Holly Marie Combs is always a sight for sore eyes as her talent makes every scene she is in a magical one.
Héctor Elizondo
Grey’s Anatomy is constantly surprising us with new interns, as in Season 19, but sometimes fans want to see the characters from the good old days. Although it was hard at first for many to love Carlos Torres (Héctor Elizondo) because he was judgmental of Callie’s sexuality, things changed as his character kept coming back.
In the end, Carlos gave his daughter unconditional support as he showed up at her wedding to dance with her. His appearances on the show are probably some of the most emotional as many viewers can relate to Callie’s storyline and dealing with unaccepting family members.