Grey's Anatomy Is Replacing Dr. Alex Karev With A Shameless Star

Grey's Anatomy Dr. Alex Karev Justin Chambers ABC
(Image credit: Kelsey McNeal / ABC)

Grey’s Anatomy will be replacing Dr. Alex Karev’s position at Grey Sloan with a new character set to be played by a Shameless star. As fans know, Karev got fired from his job as the head of Pediatric Surgery at Grey’s Anatomy’s central hub. Thus, leaving a position for a new doctor to fill. Enter the latest addition to the cast of the medical drama.

Shameless’ Richard Flood will take on the recurring role of Dr. Cormac Hayes for Season 16, per Deadline. As such, the new doc will be taking over Dr. Alex Karev’s former position, opening up speculation as to how long his time at Pac-Gen North will last. As for the Grey's newcomer, Shameless fans will recall Flood for his role as Ford on the hit dramedy.

The actor played the love interest of former Shameless star Emmy Rossum’s Fiona in Season 8 and Season 9. Ford was the guy that broke Fiona’s heart for the umpteenth time. Not much is known about Richard Flood’s Grey’s Anatomy character outside of his position at Grey Sloan. Character details -- such as his personality, and overall manner of doing things -- remain a mystery.

Shameless Richard Flood Ford Showtime

(Image credit: Showtime)

Dr. Cormac Hayes’ personality is not the only thing that remains a bit open-ended at that moment. Richard Flood’s new character will reportedly make his Grey’s Anatomy debut at some point in Season 16. Meaning an exact date to expect his arrival is still pending. Do not worry, though, the ABC drama will keep you entertained in the meantime.

Grey’s Anatomy just revealed a huge twist for Dr. Miranda Bailey, a new romance for Dr. Jackson Avery, and a bombshell for Dr. Amelia Shepherd. Then, there is the series’ Halloween episode, which fans already got a bloody peek at. That particular picture hinted that all may not bode well for the wedding dress of Dr. Alex Karev’s not-entirely legal wife, Dr. Jo Karev.

Alex had looked beyond rough in Grey’s Anatomy’s Season 16 premiere. How worn will he look upon hearing the news that Grey Sloan has found his replacement? It depends on how he feels about it. Alex is still practicing medicine and in a major way. He is Chief of Staff at Pac-Gen North.

Grey’s Anatomy casting a new character to replace Alex indicates he may not be returning to his former position any time soon. As fans stay tuned to see how his workplace drama unfolds, they also have his tumultuous personal life to consider.

Alex’s relationship with his presumptive wife, Jo, has taken a critical hit. It turns out that their marriage is not legal since Alex forgot to mail the license. However, things may eventually look up for Karev and his relationship with Jo in Season 16. Will his replacement help or hurt things?

Stay tuned for Alex’s replacement when new episodes of Grey’s Anatomy air this fall on Thursdays, at 8 p.m. ET, on ABC. You can relive Alex’s tenure in his previous position via Netflix, along with newly arriving content.

Britt Lawrence

Like a contented Hallmark movie character, Britt happily lives in the same city she grew up in. Along with movies and television, she is passionate about competitive figure skating. She has been writing about entertainment for 5 years, and as you may suspect, still finds it as entertaining to do as when she began.