‘Grey’s Anatomy’ April actor opens up about his firing: ‘It felt mean and unfair’

Former Grey’s Anatomy Alum Sarah Drew opens up about her acrimonious departure from the show and reveals she felt the decision was unfair. Shonda Rhimes’ ABC medical drama premiered in 2009 and has become a pop culture behemoth with 21 seasons and 433 episodes, earning 39 Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Drew joined the cast in 2009 and made her debut as Dr. April Kepner in the season 6 episode “invasion” before he left the show after the end of season 14, as the Grey’s Anatomy The character married and resigned to provide medical care to the homeless in Seattle.

Drew recently appeared on the podcast Call it like it is (above TVLine), moderated by her former Grey’s Anatomy Colleagues Jessica Capshaw and Camilla Luddington. She discussed her departure from the show and clarified comments she made at the time that were akin to being fired “Attending my own funeral.” She also spoke more positively about April’s return to the show in 2021 and 2022 and how her views on the show have changed over time. Check out Drew’s full comments below:

“What I wanted to describe was… [I] was summarily dismissed in a way that felt mean and unfair, and because of that the love was so powerful that it was like sitting there and watching people [eulogize you].”

“I have no attachment to it [the show] at all. I wasn’t afraid [going back because] I don’t need anything from anyone on set anymore. You are no longer responsible for my livelihood. They are not responsible for my success or my happiness… I say, “Hey! It’s fun to visit this place.’”

What prompted Drew’s exit from Grey’s Anatomy?

A change in showrunner likely contributed to this

Drew’s departure from the show was pretty bitter. The star was very vocal about her firing at the time and seemed to take the decision personally based on her comments. One of the main reasons for the departure could have been a change in showrunners. Rhimes stepped down as showrunner in 2015 and Krista Vernoff returned to lead the show in 2017. According to Vernoff The decision to let Drew and his long-time colleague Capshaw go was a creative decision.

However, it seems that Drew may not have seen it that way and felt hurt by the manner of her exit. After playing the role for nine years on the series, it’s obvious that the Everwood The actress would have expected a contract extension, and that’s probably why she admitted she felt surprised by the firing. That is possible Had Rhimes remained as showrunner, Drew could still be a prominent cast memberbut there is no guarantee that this would have been the case.

Our thoughts on whether Drew could return to Grey’s Anatomy again

The star appears to have made peace with her departure

Since then, Drew has appeared in several projects Grey’s Anatomy and appears to have made peace with her dismissal. However, I believe she would welcome another return to the series as she has a strong connection to both the series and the character. Another return shouldn’t be ruled out, especially after rumors of an April and Jackson spinoff. However, it will depend on how long the juggernaut show can continue to run, whether Drew will have availability in her schedule, and whether returning in April would be a viable creative move for her Grey’s Anatomy.

Source: TVLine

Grey’s Anatomy is a medical drama series that revolves around surgical interns, residents and attendings at the fictional Gray Sloan Memorial Hospital. The show shows the professional and private lives of these doctors, initially led by Dr. Meredith Gray, played by Ellen Pompeo. Created by Shonda Rhimes, the series explores the complexities of medical cases while exploring the interpersonal relationships among hospital staff.

Pour

Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr., Justin Chambers, Kevin McKidd, Jesse Williams, Bokhee An, Camilla Luddington, Patrick Dempsey, Sara Ramirez, Jessica Capshaw, Sandra Oh, Caterina Scorsone, Sarah Drew, Kelly McCreary, Kim Raver, Jason George, Eric Dane, Giacomo Gianniotti, Jake Borelli, Katherine Heigl, Jerrika Hinton, Chyler Leigh, Chris Carmack, TR Knight, Debbie Allen, Jaicy Elliot, Anthony Hill, Kate Walsh, Greg Germann, Isaiah Washington, Aniela Gumbs, Martin Henderson , Payton Silver, Gaius Charles, Tessa Ferrer, Stefania Spampinato, Alex Landi, Scott Speedman, Mark Saul, Nicole Rubio, Richard Flood, Ryder Goodstadt, Steven W. Bailey, Adelaide Kane, Alexis Floyd, Harry Shum Jr., Midori Francis, Niko Terho

Character(s)

Dr. Meredith Gray, Dr. Miranda Bailey, Dr. Richard Webber, Dr. Alex Karev, Dr. Owen Hunt, Dr. Jackson Avery, Nurse Bokhee, Dr. Jo Wilson, Dr. Derek Shepherd, Dr. Callie Torres, Dr. Arizona Robbins, Dr. Cristina Yang, Dr. Amelia Shepherd, Dr. April Kepner, Dr. Maggie Pierce, Dr. Teddy Altman, Dr. Ben Warren, Dr. Mark Sloan, Dr. Andrew DeLuca, Dr. Levi Schmitt, Dr. Izzie Stevens, Dr. Stephanie Edwards, Dr. Lexie Gray, Dr. Atticus Lincoln, Dr. George O’Malley, Dr. Catherine Fox, Dr. Taryn Helm, Dr. Winston Ndugu, Dr. Addison Montgomery, Dr. Thomas Koracick, Dr. Preston Burke, Zola Gray Shepard, Dr. Nathan Riggs, Dr. Knox, Dr. Shane Ross, Dr. Leah Murphy, Dr. Carina DeLuca, Dr. Nico Kim, Dr. Nick Marsh, Intern Steve, Paramedic Nicole, Dr. Cormac Hayes, Derek Bailey Shepherd, Joe, Dr. Jules Millin, Dr. Simone Griffith, Dr. Benson Kwan, Dr. Mika Yasuda, Dr. Lucas Adams

Release date

March 27, 2005

Seasons

21

writer

Shonda Rhimes, Julie Wong, Jen Klein, Tameson Duffy, Meg Marinis

Directors

Rob Corn, Kevin McKidd, Debbie Allen, Chandra Wilson, Allison Liddi-Brown, Jeannot Szwarc, Tony Phelan

Creator

Shonda Rhimes, Michelle Lirtzman

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