If you have wanted to see Callie back on Grey's Anatomy, then you are not alone. Other fans do too, which means an inquiry surrounding Callie's return to the medical drama invariably came up when Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes was answering questions as part of a Q&A session she hosted on her Instagram. Well, Rhimes gave fans the behind-the-scenes scoop as to why the beloved character did not come back, and it has to do with CBS.
Sara Ramirez, who plays Callie, is now on CBS' political drama Madam Secretary, which means the network has the power to say no and according to Shonda Rhimes they did just that. The television mogul shared that Grey's Anatomy tried to get Ramirez back for an undisclosed stint and CBS did not let Ramirez do it. Rhimes went on to say that Grey's Anatomy loves her and for Callie to "come home."
Sara Ramirez left the ABC drama in 2016. In late 2017, she signed on to join the cast of CBS' Madam Secretary. So when exactly did Grey's Anatomy try to get Callie back and for what story? According to TVLine, Grey's Anatomy wanted Sara Ramirez to return as Callie for the Season 14 finale, which saw the show bid farewell to Jessica Capshaw's Arizona. For their part, a CBS source denied to the site that ABC or Grey's Anatomy had inquired about the actress' availability.
In the end, Arizona did not get her happily ever after with Callie on-screen. Thanks to some clever writing on Grey's Anatomy's part, however, Callie and Arizona did appear to be on the verge of reconciliation. So they are probably living their happy ending off-screen. Albeit, it is a development, fans would likely have preferred to have seen unfold on-screen. Will they learn more about the pair's relationship status when Season 15 returns? You will have to stay tuned.
While Sara Ramirez's Callie was not able to return to Grey's Anatomy for the Season 14 finale, there may be hope for her to do so in the future. Based on her reaction, Shondra Rhimes is keeping the door open for the character's return, and given her affectionate response to the question, there is undoubtedly significant interest in having Callie return to the series.
As for Sara Ramirez, she is remaining busy outside of the Grey's Anatomy universe. She is still starring on Madam Secretary as political strategist Kat Sandoval, so fans of the actress can count on seeing her again when the series returns. The drama will be back for its fifth season, Sunday, October 7 at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.
Grey's Anatomy returns for its fifteenth season with a 2-hour season premiere that will air Thursday, September 27 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. For new television to watch while you wait for the return of Grey's Anatomy check out CinemaBlend's summer premiere guide. For other new television shows set to arrive this fall, check out CinemaBlend's guide to TV's fall premieres.
