Grey’s Anatomy Season 23 Shake-Up: 3 Stars Exit ABC Show as 1 Character’s Future Remains Uncertain

Kevin McKidd exited Grey’s Anatomy as a series regular at the end of Season 22, meaning he will not be part of the cast in Season 23. McKidd joined the show in Season 5 as Dr. Owen Hunt and did not miss a single season during his run on the medical drama. His departure came down to creative and financial decisions, though showrunner Meg Marinis has left the door open for potential future appearances.

In a May interview with The Hollywood Reporter, McKidd admitted that he had been “thinking about my character’s exit for quite a few years.” He explained, “I’d been feeling like it was time for me to leave over the last couple of years, and not quite knowing how to do that,” before revealing, “But the benefit is that I’m going to be back as a director on the show. So what’s weird about it is that it is a goodbye, but not really, because I’ll be back to direct the second episode next season [season 23].”

Kim Raver left the show alongside co-star Kevin McKidd at the conclusion of Season 22, so fans should not expect to see Dr. Teddy Altman in Season 23. Raver first appeared in a recurring role in Season 6 before being promoted to a series regular later in the same installment. She departed after Season 8, returned in Season 14, and remained a main cast member until the departure.

During her chat with The Hollywood Reporter, Raver opened up about her exit, saying, “I’ll just say that playing Teddy and letting go of Teddy is a deeply felt and an incredibly emotional journey for me, because the gift of being on the show for so long and working with Shondaland, as an actor, is lightning in a bottle.” Raver also expressed hope that she would return to Grey’s Anatomy someday, adding, “I hope to continue being collaborative with Shondaland in the future.”

Natalie Morales was not as lucky. Her character, Dr. Monica Beltran, did not make it out alive like Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver’s characters. Beltran was k*lled off in the Season 22 premiere. She suffered fatal internal bleeding after a blast caused a heavy operating light to crash down onto her pelvis. But, before dying, she saved a young patient’s life by verbally assisting her protégé, Dr. Jules Millin (Adelaide Kane). Morales made her debut in Season 20 as a guest star before becoming a recurring cast member in Season 21.

Showrunner Meg Marinis told The Hollywood Reporter that she “didn’t want to” k*ll Beltran, adding, “It was very difficult. It was very painful. I cried on that phone call.” She further explained, “I think Monica is a character written from the beginning very selflessly. She is kind of no-nonsense, and says what she means, but she always puts her patients and the people she cares about before herself, and it was important for her to end that way, too.”

Caterina Scorsone’s character, Dr. Amelia Shepherd, took a sabbatical during Season 22 of Grey’s Anatomy. However, it was a short break, and she returned in later episodes. According to showrunner Meg Marinis, “It was important to see her prioritize herself rather than keep going. It also speaks to her addiction history. I believe she became a little addicted to work and that she was pulling herself back a little bit,” as quoted by THR. Considering Amelia was doing well and looking much better when she returned from her hiatus, it is safe to assume that she will most likely return in the upcoming installment as well.