The cast of ABC's Grey's Anatomy has changed many, many times over the years, and one of the most compelling additions to the ensemble came when Jerrika Hinton first joined the series back in Season 9. She's currently a regular in Season 13, but Grey's Anatomy won't be her only show on the airwaves in the foreseeable future. Hinton has signed on for a role in a brand new HBO show, and it could mean a change for Dr. Stephanie Edwards on Grey's Anatomy.
Jerrika Hinton has landed a role in the as-yet untitled series for HBO that will showcase the myriad of forces that affect American culture and society in the modern day. Stories will follow a multi-racial family comprised of a philosophy professor and a lawyer who decide to build their family by adopting children from Colombia, Somalia, and Vietnam. Later in their lives, the husband and wife have a biological child of their own. The show picks up when one of the kids starts seeing things that don't seem to be there, leading to the question of whether a mental illness, physical malady, or perhaps something mystical is at play. Hinton will play Ashley, who was born in the U.S. to Somalian refugees, then adopted after her biological mother died and her biological father was deported back to Somalia.
Ashley seems like a pretty meaty role for Jerrika Hinton, but it's not necessarily one that will force her to choose between Grey's Anatomy and the HBO series. She is currently being described as a guest star for the HBO show. Given the fact that seasons of HBO shows are generally much shorter than those on broadcast networks, Hinton may well be able to film for the HBO project and continue her work on Grey's Anatomy without much trouble. The cast on Grey's is certainly big enough that Stephanie doesn't need to be in the spotlight every single week, so the show could definitely coast by with her on a limited capacity for a few episodes if that's what it took for Hinton to work both jobs.
That said, Jerrika Hinton's future on Grey's Anatomy is far from clear. No details are currently available about a return for Season 14 if the show is renewed, and Hinton has already shown signs that she's ready to try new things in her career. She was even cast in a pilot for a news series called Toast back in 2016 as the leading lady. Dr. Stephanie Edwards is still going strong on Grey's Anatomy; we'll have to wait and see if Jerrika Hinton intends to continue in the role.
Jerrika Hinton will be joined on the HBO series by Sosie Bacon of Scream, Daniel Zovatto of Fear the Walking Dead, Raymond Lee of Mozart in the Jungle, and Holly Hunter of Saving Grace. Deadline reports that the show was created by Alan Ball, who already crafted hits for HBO with Six Feet Under and True Blood. We'll have to wait and see how the team does together and whether their work affects Jerrika Hinton as a regular on Grey's Anatomy.
Grey's Anatomy returns from its winter hiatus on Thursday, January 19 at 8 p.m. ET. Take a gander at our midseason TV premiere schedule to see what else you can catch on the small screen in the near future, and check out our breakdown of the 10 most shocking Grey's Anatomy deaths for a blast from the past.
