Grey’s Anatomy boasts a sizable number of regular cast members, and between that and budget cuts at ABC, the longtime medical series has been dealing with smaller episode counts and cast member exits. So when a character is written off the show — as was the case for Monica Beltran, Teddy Altman and Owen Hunt in Season 22 — when and how do they find out? Jason George explained the process, and I was shocked by a couple of things.
Grey’s Anatomy’s Season 22 finale featured some unexpected cliffhangers, but it was not a surprise that Kim Raver and Kevin McKidd’s characters said goodbye at the end of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Their exit had been confirmed well in advance, and Jason George — who plays Ben Warren — said the writers handle those situations with as much grace as possible. He told US Weekly:
They’re not afraid to make the hard decisions in terms of story to keep the story as fresh and alive as possible. But they do it with respect.
So at what point in the process is showrunner Meg Marinis making a call to an actor whose character may be on the chopping block? I was surprised by what Jason George had to say:
As early as possible — as soon as you’re thinking about it — you’ll get a call and a conversation. I remember when I got called to do the spinoff for Station 19. I thought it was a call to [say], ‘Sorry, man, we’re writing Ben off the show.'
Luckily for Jason George, not only was Ben Warren not written off Grey’s Anatomy, he was allowed to return to the series after Station 19 was canceled. It’s surprising to me that cast members are notified so early in the process that their character could be at risk, and what’s more shocking is that not every series has the same amount of respect for its cast. George said:
I’m thankful because there are shows in Hollywood — you hear the stories — where you find out that you’re leaving the show at the table read. You’re completely notably blindsided. I love the fact that my bosses try to give as much respect as possible in that regard.
I simply can’t imagine how awful it would be to sit in a room with your colleagues and then everyone reads at the same time that you’ve just been fired. What an awkward situation to put everyone in. However, as Jason George said, you do hear those stories.
The Yellowstone spinoff 1923 killed off seven characters in one episode last year, and the actors say they didn’t find out until they read the script. Compare that to former Grey’s Anatomy recurrer Natalie Morales' experience after Season 21's explosive finale. She got a call from the showrunner asking if she’d return for the Season 22 premiere, and it was then that she learned that Monica was being killed off.
These are people’s livelihoods that we’re talking about here, so you’d certainly hope for such matters to be handled as delicately as possible. It’s nice to hear from Jason George that’s how it is on Grey’s Anatomy.
Ben Warren’s fate is not in question heading into Season 23, so we look forward to seeing him — and that upcoming Grey’s Anatomy Texas spinoff — hit the 2026 TV schedule this fall. For now you can stream all 22 seasons of the medical drama with a Hulu subscription or a Netflix subscription (where the recently concluded season will be available starting June 5).
