List of ''Grey's Anatomy'' characters

Grey's Anatomy is an American television medical drama series created by Shonda Rhimes, broadcast by ABC. The show features an ensemble cast of regular characters, with nine main characters in its first season. Since the first season, many characters have left the show or have been written out, and new main characters have been written in and out of the series. Following is a list of characters who have appeared over the various seasons since the drama's premiere.

Cast

Actor/Actress Character Seasons
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Ellen Pompeo Meredith Grey Main
Sandra Oh Cristina Yang Main Guest*
Katherine Heigl Izzie Stevens Main
Justin Chambers Alex Karev Main
T. R. Knight George O'Malley Main
Chandra Wilson Miranda Bailey Main
James Pickens, Jr. Richard Webber Main
Isaiah Washington Preston Burke Main Guest
Patrick Dempsey Derek Shepherd Main
Kate Walsh Addison Montgomery Guest Main Special Guest Recurring Special Guest
Eric Dane Mark Sloan Guest Main
Sara Ramirez Callie Torres Recurring Main
Brooke Smith Erica Hahn Recurring Main
Chyler Leigh Lexie Grey Recurring Main
Kevin McKidd Owen Hunt Main
Jessica Capshaw Arizona Robbins Recurring Main
Kim Raver Teddy Altman Main Recurring
Sarah Drew April Kepner Recurring Main
Jesse Williams Jackson Avery Recurring Main
Jason George Benjamin Warren Recurring Guest Recurring Main
Caterina Scorsone Amelia Shepherd Guest Special Guest Recurring Main
Camilla Luddington Jo Wilson Recurring Main
Gaius Charles Shane Ross Recurring Main
Jerrika Hinton Stephanie Edwards Recurring Main
Tessa Ferrer Leah Murphy Recurring Main Recurring
Kelly McCreary Maggie Pierce Guest Main
Giacomo Gianniotti Andrew DeLuca Guest Main
Martin Henderson Nathan Riggs Main

*Cristina Yang's guest appearance in the Season 11 episode "She's Leaving Home" is portrayed by an uncredited body double instead of Sandra Oh. The body double's face is not shown, and she has no lines.

Main characters

Chiefs of Surgery

Name Actor/actress Starring seasons Recurring seasons Occupation at Grey Sloan (or its predecessors) Job Title
Miranda Bailey Chandra Wilson 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 N/A Chief of Surgery, Attending General Surgeon, Member of the Board M.D., FACS
An attending general surgeon at Seattle Grace hospital, Miranda Bailey initially gives a cold, domineering impression, earning her the nickname "The Nazi". However, her attitude has since softened, and she has developed a maternal demeanor towards the residents in the hospital. She has gone through a divorce, which led her to turn down a fellowship in pediatric surgery. In Season 8, she is dating an anesthesiologist, Ben Warren, who proposes to her and she accepts. Miranda has been given the nickname "BCB" ("Booty Call Bailey"), due to her increasing love for Ben. In Season 9, Miranda and Ben get married. In Season 10, Ben talks to Shepherd about how he suspects that Bailey has OCD. Shepherd takes this to Hunt and Bailey is forced to be followed around by an occupational therapist to help her get control of her OCD. Eventually, Bailey decides to start taking a medication that will help control it. In season 12, Dr. Bailey is named Chief of Surgery.
Owen Hunt Kevin McKidd 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 , 11, 12, 13 5 Chief of Trauma Surgery, Attending Trauma Surgeon, Former Chief of Surgery M.D., FACS
Owen Hunt is the Chief of Surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Entering the series, he immediately begins a relationship with Cristina Yang. Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, he has struggled with the horrors he experienced whilst serving with the army in Iraq. He invites a former colleague, Teddy Altman, to work alongside him, a decision which causes some friction between himself and Cristina. In the Season 7 premiere, he marries Cristina. After Webber resigns, he is given the position of Chief of Surgery. He and Cristina experience marital problems after his affair with a woman at a bar. They try to resolve it, but it eventually leads to their divorce. They do not end the relationship until season 9, episode 24, when she decides to let him go. In season 10, he starts a relationship with Emma Marling, an attending at Seattle Presbyterian. They break up and he starts to see Cristina again, but that ends when Cristina moves to Zurich.
Derek Shepherd Patrick Dempsey 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 N/A Chief of Neurosurgery, Attending Neurosurgeon, Director of the Board, Grey Sloan Shareholder, Former Chief of Surgery M.D, FACS
As Chief of Neurosurgery, Derek Shepherd earns the nickname "McDreamy" by the female staff of Seattle Grace. The lead male character, he is known for his complicated love life. He initially moves to Seattle from New York City to get away from his adulterous ex-wife Addison Montgomery, whom he discovered was having an affair with his best friend, Mark Sloan. He subsequently begins a long romance with Meredith Grey, which results in their marriage. He has a somewhat antagonistic relationship with Richard Webber, whom he believes isn't governing the hospital appropriately. He takes over as the Chief of Surgery after going to the hospital board about Chief Webber's drinking problem. He resigns after nearly dying from being shot because he thinks being Chief isn't his place. He and Meredith adopt an orphan named Zola from Africa in Season 7. After surviving the plane crash in the Season 8 finale, he begins Season 9 recovering from his injured hand. His hand goes numb while he tries to grip one of the instruments before surgery. His son Bailey is born in the Season 9 finale. In season 10 Derek starts to work with the president, using his technology that he and Callie created. He wants to move to DC with his family, but Meredith says shes doesn't want to in the season finale. In season 11 episode 21 "How To Save A Life", he dies of a head injury after his car was T-Boned by a semi-truck.
Richard Webber James Pickens, Jr. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 , 11, 12, 13 N/A Senior Attending General Surgeon, Member of the Board, Director of the Residency Program, Grey Sloan Shareholder, Former Chief of Surgery M.D., FACS
Authority figure and former Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace, Richard has had a difficult past, characterized by affairs and alcoholism. His relationship with Meredith Grey is at times volatile because he had an affair with her mother, Ellis Grey. Richard has struggled with managing the finances of Seattle Grace Hospital and had eventually merged the hospital with Mercy West Hospital. The merger has caused him a lot of stress, strained his relationship with Derek Shepherd and ultimately contributes to the collapse of his sobriety. He steps down as Chief of Surgery in Season 8, although because he has been chief for so long, the residents still call him "Chief." In the Season 9 premiere, it is Dr. Webber that pulls the plug on Mark Sloan. In the final episode of Season 9, Dr. Webber has been electrocuted and nobody knows that he is down in the basement until Season 10. He and Dr. Heather Brooks are found by Dr. Shane Ross.

Department Chiefs

Name Actor/actress Starring seasons Recurring seasons Occupation at Grey Sloan (or its predecessors) Job Title
Theodora "Teddy" Altman Kim Raver 6, 7, 8 6, 14 Chief of Cardiothoracic surgery, Attending Cardiothoracic Surgeon M.D., FACS
Dr. Altman takes over the job of Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in Season 6. She previously served in Iraq with Owen Hunt. Although a skilled surgeon, her teaching methods might appear somewhat unorthodox. Her arrival at Seattle Grace, followed by her confession of love to Owen, has caused some friction between Owen and his girlfriend, Cristina Yang. Teddy marries a patient at the hospital named Henry so he can get insurance, but she eventually falls in love with him. Over time, a friendship develops between Teddy and Cristina, but Teddy's friendship with Owen ends when she feels he puts the hospital before her. Owen and Teddy eventually make up in the season finale. Owen finds out she was offered a job at the U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM), but turned it down because she wanted to be there for Owen, in return for all he has done for her. Owen fires her so she will go to MEDCOM.
Jackson Avery Jesse Williams 7, 8, 9, 10 , 11, 12, 13 6 Head of Plastics, Attending Plastic Surgeon, Attending E.N.T. Surgeon, Chairman of the Board, Trustee to the Harper Avery Foundation M.D., FACS
First introduced as a surgical resident from Mercy West Hospital after the merger, Jackson is a grandson of the famous surgeon Dr. Harper Avery. A member of the "plastics posse", training under Mark Sloan (and succeeding him as Chief of Plastics following his death), he is also called "pretty boy," especially by Cristina Yang. He develops a crush on Cristina and, while inebriated at a party, he kisses her, but Cristina breaks the kiss. In the 6th season finale, he is told by Dr. Shepherd that there is a lockdown in the hospital. He is later left by Dr. Hunt and Dr. Altman in the OR with two nurses and an anesthesiologist. He is the one who decides that Cristina should operate on Dr. Shepherd in order to save him after Shepherd is shot. When Mr. Clark (the shooter) takes the OR hostage, Jackson disconnects Dr. Shepherd from the monitors in order to make everyone believe that he is dead until Mr. Clark leaves the room. Jackson suffers from traumatic nightmares. He also has a complicated relationship with Lexie Grey, which becomes a recurring plot point. Though he was offered a position as surgical fellow at Tulane Medical Center, Jackson decides to stay in Seattle. At the end of Season 8, he starts having sex with his best friend April Kepner, but their relationship is complicated. The two went their separate ways after breaking up, which culminated in them seeing other people. Jackson started a relationship with the new intern, Stephanie, after hooking up in a car during Bailey's wedding. April went on to date a paramedic named Matthew Taylor. At April's Wedding to Matthew, Jackson realizes he still loves April and stands up professing his love. Jackson and April are seen driving off together at the start of the following episode and later we learn they have eloped and no one at the hospital knows. It is also revealed that he and April are expecting together. He later starts a program with Callie and Owen to help redirect nerves in Veterans with amputations.
Preston Burke Isaiah Washington 1, 2, 3 10 Chief of Cardiothoracic surgery, Attending Cardiothoracic Surgeon M.D., FACS
Preston Burke is the former Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery. He begins a romantic relationship with Cristina Yang, which comes under strain when Preston is shot and his right hand's nerve supply is disrupted. With his career threatened, he has Cristina perform some of his surgeries, a situation which is resolved when Dr. Shepherd repairs his right hand's nerve supply. Preston and Cristina continue their relationship, which ultimately ends on their wedding day, when he leaves her at the altar. Dr. Burke graduated at the top of his class from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. In Season Four, he is mentioned as a candidate to receive the Harper Avery Award. Dr. Burke returns in Season 10, offering Cristina his hospital.
Meredith Grey Ellen Pompeo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 N/A Chief of General Surgery, Attending General Surgeon, Director of the Board, Grey Sloan Shareholder M.D., FACS
Meredith Grey is the central protagonist of the show, and narrator of the majority of episodes. She began the series as an intern and has since progressed along her medical career path. She went to the Geisel School of Medicine. Her character is defined by her romantic relationships, as well as the lingering effects her mother's affair with Richard Webber has had on her life. She is best friends with Cristina Yang, and is her "person". Following a long romance, she marries neurosurgeon, Dr. Derek Shepherd. The day of the shooting in season six, she discovers she that is pregnant. That day, she miscarriages due to the stress. She later learns that she has a "hostile uterus" and starts taking fertility shots. When they are unsuccessful, Grey and Shepherd adopt Zola. In Season 9, Meredith is an attending general surgeon and has earned the nickname of "Medusa" by her interns and residents. Her son Bailey is born in the Season 9 finale. In the Season 10 Finale, she says goodbye to Cristina, her person, as she leaves to go to Zurich to take Dr. Burke's hospital. Meredith has a difficult time when she discovers that she has a sister, another one. In the eleventh season she also has many struggles trying to keep her marriage from falling apart.
Erica Hahn Brooke Smith 4, 5 2, 3 Chief of Cardiothoracic surgery, Attending Cardiothoracic Surgeon M.D., FACS
Following Preston Burke's departure, Erica Hahn takes his position as Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Seattle Grace. Her brusque, somewhat harsh personality is tempered by Callie Torres, with whom she begins a relationship. Her time at Seattle Grace ends abruptly, however, when she becomes discontent with Izzie Stevens, and the lack of disciplinary action following the Denny Duquette incident. Dr. Hahn attended the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where she was in the same class as Dr. Burke.
Addison Montgomery Kate Walsh 2, 3 1, 2 Chief of Neonatal Surgery, Obstetrics, and Gynaecology, Attending Neonatal Surgeon, Attending Obstetrician-Gynaecologist, Attending Fetal Surgeon, Attending Medical Geneticist M.D., FACS, FACOG
Former Chief of OB/GYN and Neonatal Surgery, and the ex-wife of Derek Shepherd, Addison transfers to Seattle Grace, seeking reconciliation with Derek. After achieving a degree of understanding with Derek, and realizing that he is in love with Meredith Grey, Addison leaves Seattle Grace. The character is now the protagonist of the ABC series Private Practice, and continues to make guest appearances on Grey's Anatomy.
Margaret "Maggie" Pierce Kelly McCreary 11, 12, 13 10 Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Attending Cardiothoracic Surgeon M.D., FACS
Maggie Pierce enters at the end of the 10th season as the new Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery. At the end of a stressful day she shares with Dr. Webber that her biological mother is Ellis Grey. At the beginning of the eleventh season Pierce informs Meredith that they are sisters, where she is called a liar. She regrets deciding to tell Meredith in the first place. Webber, then informs her that he is her biological father, and she is frustrated that he didn't say anything sooner. When Derek Shepherd finds out about Pierces dilemma, he hugs her and welcomes her to the family.
Arizona Robbins Jessica Capshaw 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 , 11, 12, 13 5 Former Chief of Pediatric Surgery, Chief of Fetal Surgery, Attending Pediatric Surgeon, Attending Fetal Surgeon, Director of the Board, Grey Sloan Shareholder M.D., FACS
Arizona Robbins, pediatric surgery attending, has a cheery disposition but gets upset when challenging authority. She has embarked on a relationship with Callie Torres. She comes from a military family and graduated from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Arizona harbors great emotional intelligence. Her insight and advice have been used to defuse several situations, such as Callie's dispute with her father. In Season 7, Arizona wins a prestigious award, and she and Callie plan to move to Malawi, Africa, and work there. However, she breaks up with Callie and leaves her at the airport. They reconcile soon after, and ultimately get married. In the Season 9 premiere, she has lost one of her legs due to injuries sustained during a plane crash at the end of Season 8, which results in a strained relationship with her wife, culminating in her ultimately cheating on Callie. They briefly separated, but ultimately decide to work things out. However, after going through a thirty-day hiatus during couples therapy Callie decides to end things between the two of them.
Amelia Shepherd Caterina Scorsone 11, 12, 13 10 Chief of Neurosurgery, Attending Neurosurgeon M.D., FACS
Amelia is one of Derek Shepherd's many sisters. Amelia returns to Seattle to work alongside Derek. But, when Derek gives his job to Amelia she is ecstatic. When Derek asks for the job back they start a very long feud between their skills.
Mark Sloan Eric Dane 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9* 2, 3 Chief of Plastic Surgery, Attending Plastic Surgeon, Attending E.N.T Surgeon M.D., FACS
Mark Sloan, Chief of Plastic Surgery, attended Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He has a playboy personality that jeopardizes his friendship with Derek when he has an affair with Derek's wife, Addison Montgomery. He has known both Derek and Addison from the time when all three lived in New York City. Derek and Mark manage to resolve their issues and reaffirm their friendship. He has been given the nickname "McSteamy" by Meredith and her friends. Sloan has a relationship with Lexie Grey, which ends due to the strain of Mark's 18-year-old daughter from a one-night stand appearing at the hospital and subsequently moving in with them. The girl's mother had named her Sloan and never told Mark about her. She arrives in Seattle unannounced, and Mark finds out she is pregnant. Mark wants to keep the baby, but Sloan decides to give it up for adoption. Afterwards, Mark and Lexie resume their relationship, but it ends when Mark gets Callie Torres pregnant, and Lexie starts dating Jackson Avery. When Lexie was in her last moments, Mark admitted that he loved her and always would. Mark died in the Season 9 premiere from injuries sustained in a plane crash. The hospital is renamed in his memory and Lexie's memory.
Calliope "Callie" Torres Sara Ramirez 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 2 Chief of Orthopedic Surgery, Attending Orthopedic Surgeon, Director of the Board, Grey Sloan Shareholder M.D., FACS
Callie, an orthopedic surgeon, is introduced as an orthopedic surgical resident, then is promoted to an attending. She was once married to George O'Malley, but divorced him after he developed feelings for Izzie Stevens. Later, she has an affair with Erica Hahn, which is cut short by Hahn's departure from Seattle Grace. She then enters into a happy relationship with Arizona Robbins, but they break up because Arizona does not want to have kids. At the end of Season 6, after performing surgery on a small girl while a shooter is loose in the hospital, Callie tells Arizona in a roundabout way that she loves her. The two get back together and decide that they are going to have children. In Season 7, Callie is going to move to Africa with Arizona, but Arizona breaks up with her and leaves her at the airport in Seattle. Callie sleeps with Mark again and becomes pregnant. Arizona later returns for Callie, and they get back together. Later, Callie is severely injured in a car crash with Arizona. Addison delivers her baby, Sofia Robbin Sloan Torres, at 23 weeks, and the baby survives. Then she and Arizona marry. In the Season 9 premiere, the relationship between Callie and Arizona is strained with Mark dying and Arizona having one leg amputated by Alex Karev. Arizona cheats on her, leading Callie to kick her out of the apartment. After the Travis Reed lawsuit and a conversation with her father, Callie asked Arizona to move back in and they began working on repairing their marriage. Callie cuts their couples therapy short when she realizes that she needs to love herself, not Arizona. In the season 12 finale, she resigned from Grey-Sloan and moved to New York City.
Alex Karev Justin Chambers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 N/A Chief of Pediatric Surgery, Attending Pediatric Surgeon, Grey Sloan Shareholder M.D., FACS
A hard-headed and often discourteous resident, Alex Karev has had a series of unfortunate relationships throughout his life, beginning with his mother. At an early age, he had to become her defender from an abusive father, then later her caretaker. While working as a doctor, he becomes involved with a patient, Ava. However, her mental instability strains their relationship and Alex, once again, adopts the role of caretaker before Ava's admission to a psychiatric hospital. He subsequently embarks on a relationship with Izzie Stevens, and they get married, but Izzie asks for a divorce following her dismissal from Seattle Grace. In the Season 8 finale, he is meant to fly with other surgeons to perform a procedure at Boise Memorial. However, after he states his intention to do his pediatric surgical fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Hospital to Dr. Robbins, she replaces him out of anger. In the Season 9 premiere, he is supposed to be leaving Seattle Grace, having deferred his fellowship in the aftermath of the plane crash. After he realizes the drastic changes that will happen in both his and Dr. Robbins' absence, and due to the hiring of a new Chief of Pediatric Surgery, he changes his mind and stays on at Seattle Grace. In season 9 finale, he starts a relationship with surgical intern Jo. In season 10 he completes his fellowship, and he goes to work for Dr. Lebackes at a private practice, which saw him make a substantial salary. However, after being fired when Lebackes found out he was up for a position on the Grey Sloan board, he returned to Grey Sloan and took his current position. Cristina leaves him her shares in the hospital in the season 10 Finale.

(* Although he only appeared in the first two episodes of the ninth season, Eric Dane was still billed as a member of the main cast in those two episodes.)

Attending Physicians

Name Actor/actress Starring seasons Recurring seasons Occupation at Grey Sloan (or its predecessors) Job Title
April Kepner Sarah Drew 7,[1] 8, 9, 10 , 11, 12, 13 6 Attending Trauma Surgeon M.D., FACS
First introduced as a surgical resident from Mercy West Hospital, April is fired by Chief Webber. She is later rehired by Dr. Shepherd because he believes her dismissal was unfair, and she eventually develops a crush on him. In the Season 6 finale, she tells him that her best friend, Dr. Reed Adamson, has been shot and killed. She later runs into Mr. Clark (the shooter) when Dr. Shepherd is shot. Clark lets her go when she emotionally tells him everything about her life. Although April becomes Chief Resident in the Season 7 finale, she fails to pass her Medical Boards and is later fired from Seattle Grace, but she is asked back in Season 9. At her wedding to Matthew, Jackson realizes he still loves April and stands up professing his love. Jackson and April are seen driving off together at the start of the following episode and later we learn they have eloped and no one at the hospital knows. In the last few episodes of season 10 we find out April is pregnant.
Nathan Riggs Martin Henderson 12, 13 N/A Attending Cardio-thoracic Surgeon M.D., FACS
Dr. Benjamin "Ben" Warren Jason George 12,13 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 Attending Anesthesiologist, General Surgical Resident M.D.
Dr. Warren was an anesthesiologist from Mercy West Hospital and boyfriend of Miranda Bailey until she breaks up with him after the shooting, finding herself unable to be in a relationship after such a traumatic experience. Ben tries to stay away from Miranda, but they eventually start working together again. He then asks Miranda about her new relationship with nurse Eli. Miranda wants him to stay out of her life. However, she eventually ends things with Eli and reunites with Ben. When Ben asks Miranda to move in with him, she tells him to take it slow. He proposes to Miranda during the show's eighth season, and she accepts. After they get married, Ben gets the chance to be a surgical intern in California. He accepts, much to Bailey's distress. He eventually returns as a surgical resident at the hospital. When talking to Shepherd about his fears for Bailey developing OCD, he realizes he inadvertently reported her and their marriage is strained.

Surgical Fellows

Name Actor/actress Starring seasons Recurring seasons Occupation at Grey Sloan (or its predecessors) Job Title
Cristina Yang Sandra Oh 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 N/A Cardiothoracic Surgical Fellow, Director of the Board, Grey Sloan Share Holder M.D., Ph.D.
Cristina Yang attained a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.D. from Stanford University School of Medicine. A skilled resident, Cristina Yang has an indomitable passion for cardiothoracic surgery, and is almost ruthless in pursuit of her specialty. She is best friends with Meredith Grey, and has previously been in a relationship with Preston Burke, which ended suddenly when he left Cristina on their wedding day. Since then, she has entered into a relationship with Owen Hunt, whom she marries in Season 7. As of the Season 9 premiere, she is participating in a cardiothoracic surgical fellowship program at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Like Meredith, she is unable to board a plane. Cristina returns to Seattle after Craig Thomas, her cardiothoracic attending and best friend at the Mayo Clinic, dies while performing a surgery. In season 10 Meredith and Cristina fall out but it made them stronger in the end. Yang meets Burke again, and he offers her his job in Zurich. When Cristina leaves she has an emotional goodbye with Meredith, and she leaves with Shane to go to Zurich.

Resident Physicians

Name Actor/actress Starring seasons Recurring seasons Occupation at Grey Sloan (or its predecessors) Job Title
Stephanie Edwards Jerrika Hinton 10 , 11, 12, 13 9 General Surgical Resident M.D.
An intern on Season 9, Dr. Edwards starts dating Dr. Jackson Avery after he breaks up with Dr. April Kepner. She leaves at the end of Season 13 to live life outside of a hospital, which she hasn't known since she spend her childhood in hospitals sick.
Alexandra "Lexie" Grey Chyler Leigh 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 3 General Surgical Resident M.D.
Resident and half-sister of Meredith Grey, Lexie attended Harvard Medical School. She has had relationships with Mark Sloan, Alex Karev, and Jackson Avery. Known for her photographic memory, she has earned the nickname "Lexipedia." Initially she had a distant, contentious relationship with Meredith, but they eventually grew closer. She is often called "Little Grey" by other doctors on staff. In the Season 8 finale, she dies in a plane wreck while holding hands with Mark, talking about their future.
Leah Murphy Tessa Ferrer 10 9, 13 General Surgical Resident M.D.
An intern on Season 9, Dr. Murphy briefly sleeps with Dr. Alex Karev, who is having sex with intern after intern at the time. She often asks her fellow interns questions related to Alex, and seems to be hung up on him. She had an affair with Arizona while Arizona and Callie were separated. When Arizona ends their tryst to repair her marriage, Murphy becomes hung up on her and hopes for their marriage to end. In season 10 Leah is told by chief Webber that surgery is not for her, and that she should leave the program.
George O'Malley T.R. Knight 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 N/A General Surgical Resident M.D.
George O'Malley has a less aggressive personality compared to his fellow residents. He has an infatuation with Meredith Grey, which ends when they sleep together and, halfway through, Meredith begins to cry and ultimately rejects him. He has a strong friendship with Izzie Stevens and, later, Lexie Grey. He was once married to Callie Torres, but their marriage came to an end when George slept with Izzie Stevens. George and Izzie attempt to have a relationship, but decide to remain friends when they realized their relationship lacks chemistry. Inspired by Dr. Hunt's experiences, George decides to leave Seattle Grace and enlist in the Army. Tragically, on his way to tell his mother about joining the Army, George dies when he prevents a girl from being hit by a bus, sacrificing himself instead.
Shane Ross Gaius Charles 10 9 General Surgical Resident M.D.
An intern on Season 9, Dr. Ross aims to be "the new Shepherd" and even assists on Derek's hand surgery. However, he is frustrated when Derek chooses Dr. Brooks as his intern because of her quick reflexes. In Season 10, after he sticks up for Yang when she and Meredith fight over the 3D printer, he and Yang start a sexual relationship, which only lasted briefly. Later in the season, Ross almost kills a patient as he has been lying about how many hours he's worked in a week, sleep deprivation causes him to have a mental break and he believes it is Heather Brooks on the table. In the Season 10 finale Dr. Ross leaves Seattle for Zurich with Cristina, as he wants to learn from her.
Isobel "Izzie" Stevens Katherine Heigl 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 N/A General Surgical Resident M.D.
After growing up in a trailer park and putting her newborn daughter up for adoption at age 16, Izzie managed to advance through medical school by modeling to pay her bills. She puts her career as doctor on the line in a risky bid to get her lover Denny Duquette a new heart by cutting his LVAD wires. Denny subsequently dies, but Izzie manages to keep her job. She begins a relationship with Alex Karev and they eventually get married. Their relationship becomes strained when she is diagnosed with metastatic melanoma. She recovers following treatment with Interleukin 2 but after, returning to work, she accidentally induces hyperkalemia in a patient listed for a renal transplant. Subsequently, she loses her job and leaves Seattle. She and Alex divorce.
Josephine "Jo" Wilson Camilla Luddington 10, 11, 12, 13 9 General Surgical Resident M.D.
An intern on Season 9, Dr. Wilson is at first made fun of by Alex Karev, who believes she's a rich girl and nicknames her "princess". On the contrary, she had a cruel childhood and has had to work very hard in order to get through life and become a doctor. Alex gradually warms up to her and they become close friends. She starts a relationship with an obstetrician, causing Alex to become jealous. She is set to move in with her boyfriend, but they get in a physical fight in which he becomes severely injured. After she leaves her boyfriend, Alex confesses his love to Jo.

Intern physicians

Name Actor/actress Starring seasons Recurring seasons Occupation at Grey Sloan (or its predecessors) Job Title
Dr. Andrew Deluca Giacomo Gianniotti 12, 13 11 General Surgical Intern M.D.

Supporting characters

Hospital surgeons

The following listings reflect each character's status at the time of his or her first appearance on staff at Seattle Grace/Seattle Grace Mercy West/Grey Sloan Memorial.

Attending physicians

Name Actor/Actress Season(s) Episode count
Dr. Virginia Dixon Mary McDonnell 5 3
An exceptional cardiothoracic surgeon who has Asperger syndrome, Dr. Dixon served as the interim Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery.
Dr. Rebecca Swender Kimberly Elise 5 3
A surgical oncology attending assigned to oversee Izzie Stevens' cancer treatment, Dr. Swender is said to be the best surgical oncologist in the state of Washington.[2] She is a proponent for IL-2-use as treatment for cancer, citing its success when a patient, initially given only three months to live, uses the therapy and survives an additional two years. The patient, however, succumbs to complications from the inherent nature of the IL-2, which affects Swender's otherwise authoritarian and impartial persona, and casts doubt on this treatment-protocol.[3]
Dr. Margaret Campbell Faye Dunaway 5 1
A general surgery attending, Dr. Campbell is Seattle Grace's first female surgeon. With 40 years of surgical experience, she is considered a pioneer and one of the hospital's most respected surgeons. Richard Webber may have been taught by her, which is implied when she recalls an incident involving a clamp dropped into an open body cavity. She has worked with Ellis Grey. Cristina Yang has been vocal about her objections and criticisms of Dr. Campbell's continued long-standing service. Due to a complication caused by a lacerated bowel during a routine cholecystectomy, Dr. Campbell retires after performing her last surgery to repair the "careless mistake."[4]
Dr. Robert Stark Peter MacNicol 7 7
An incompetent pediatric surgery attending, Dr. Stark is brought in as the interim Chief of Pediatric Surgery when Arizona Robbins gives her notice to oversee a pediatric surgery program in Malawi, Africa. Under contract for a year, Dr. Stark continues to serve as the department chief when Robbins returns. Described as a lazy doctor[5] and a complacent and self-satisfied attending, he represents the antithesis of attending surgeons commonly employed at Seattle Grace/Mercy West Hospital.[6] Dr. Stark has an antagonistic disposition with most of the hospital staff, especially Alex Karev. April Kepner is the only exception to his behavior. He later attempts to date her, with little success.
Dr. Lucy Fields Rachael Taylor 7 8
An OB/GYN attending and maternal-fetal medicine fellow at Seattle Grace Mercy West, Dr. Fields is self-proclaimed "damn good at her job." She attended Harvard Medical School and completed her OB/GYN residency at Duke University Medical Center.[7] Dr. Fields is Callie Torres' obstetrician and shows that she is equal parts tough, ironic, and empathetic, especially when dealing with Torres and her support team: Mark Sloan and Arizona Robbins. She seems to have a slight crush on Alex Karev, and they begin to form a relationship. Dr. Addison Montgomery returns and is told that she is not able to deal with traumatic pregnancy cases (such as a pregnant Callie involved in a car accident). Alex Karev breaks off his relationship with Dr. Fields in the Season 7 finale, and she goes off to treat children in Africa.[8]
Dr. Nicole Herman Geena Davis 11 8
Nicole Herman was the Head of Fetal Surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.Arizona worked with her as a fellow. It was revealed that she has an inoperable brain tumor and only has 6 months left. She wanted to use this period of time to teach Arizona about Fetal Surgery since it is a new field. When Amelia informed her that she believed she could remove the tumor, Herman initially rejected the idea, because she'd been given hope many times before and then had it taken away. Amelia operated and despite some complications, she successfully removed Nicole's tumor. However, she didn't wake up for several days after the surgery, leading Amelia to look for a cause. An MRI showed signs of a stroke and Amelia worried she'd never wake up. Despite this, she did eventually wake up. She was full aware of her surroundings and showed no loss of mental faculties, but she was completely blind. After being discharged from the hospital, Herman went to the Blind Institute, where she learned to live her daily life as a blind person.

Resident physicians

Name Actor/Actress Season(s) Episode count
Dr. Sydney Heron Kali Rocha 2, 3, 4 8
A fifth-year general surgery resident at Seattle Grace, Dr. Heron is known for her extremely perky personality. She initially appears as Miranda's substitute when Miranda is on maternity leave. She clashes with Cristina, who finds Sydney's positive attitude unbearable. She later serves as Izzie's peer counselor and reveals that her perky persona actually originates from a nervous breakdown she suffered after losing a patient of her own. Sydney is in the running to become chief resident, but loses to Callie, who is later replaced by Miranda. Sydney goes on one date with Dr. Shepherd, but dumps him when she decides he isn't ready for the kind of relationship she needs.
Dr. Reed Adamson Nora Zehetner 6 10
Surgical resident, formerly at Mercy West Hospital, Dr. Adamson is close friends with Dr. Charles Percy and Dr. April Kepner. She seems to be attracted to Alex Karev, and has a one-night stand with Mark Sloan. She is shot in the head by Gary Clark in the Season Six finale.
Dr. Charles Percy Robert Baker 6, 8, 12 13
Surgical resident, formerly at Mercy West Hospital, Dr. Percy is often referred to as "the big guy." He is in love with Dr. Reed Adamson. Percy is shot by Gary Clark in the Season Six finale and, despite Miranda Bailey's efforts, he dies. He reprises his role in Season 8 in "If/Then" and later in Season 12 in "Unbreak My Heart".

Surgical interns

Internship years: Seasons 4 - 6 and Season 9 - 10

Name Actor/Actress Season(s) Episode count
Dr. Steve Mostow Mark Saul 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 38
Dr. Mostow is a surgical intern of Dr. Cristina Yang, who calls him "2". In "There's no 'I' in Team," Dr. Yang considered "giving" him to George O'Malley when he finally passes his medical exams. Steve allows the other interns to practice an epidural anesthesia on him and introduce a catheter into his male organs. As a result, he cannot move for a while and is not present at Sadie's operation. Dr. Yang finds him immobilized and finds out about the operation, after which Steve is put on probation, along with the other interns. Steve later sleeps with fellow intern Pierce's girlfriend Megan, and she gets pregnant. Steve and Megan get married, and he is concluded to be the father. During the merger, Megan is fired, but Steve keeps his job, although Megan is later hired back by Derek Shepherd. According to his blog,[9] he has aspirations to go into neurosurgery as a specialty.
Dr. Graciela Guzman Gloria Garayua 4, 5, 6 17
Dr. Guzman is a surgical intern of Dr. Izzie Stevens, who considers giving her to George O'Malley because she "charts like crap," but keeps her because she can put in a line. Graciela is a nervous student, who eats a lot of chocolate when she's nervous. In the episode "In The Midnight Hour," she is the only one who quits the interns' operation on Sadie because she feels it's wrong. Nevertheless, she is put on probation with the other interns.
Intern Pierce Joseph Williamson 4, 5, 6 23
Pierce is a surgical intern of Dr. Alex Karev, who considers giving him to George O'Malley just because Dr. Karev hates how his name sounds. Pierce has confronted Dr. Karev on at least one occasion, such as when he meets his punishment along with the other interns in the episode "In The Midnight Hour" and comments that Dr. Stevens killed a man and was forgiven. Dr. Karev responds by physically attacking him. Later in the season, Pierce and Steve fight over Megan, Pierce's girlfriend, who slept with Steve during a breakup. She is now pregnant without knowing who the father of her baby is.
Dr. Ryan Spalding Brandon Scott 5, 6 15
A surgical intern of Dr. Cristina Yang, who considers giving him to George O'Malley, Dr. Spalding first appears in the episode "Life During Wartime" and is subsequently named "4.2". In the episode "In The Midnight Hour," Ryan is one of the surgical interns operating on Dr. Sadie Harris. He is left on his own in an OR, while the others go to get help. He is put on probation with the other interns after Sadie nearly dies in the operation.
Dr. Megan Mostow Molly Kidder 4, 5, 6 25
Dr. Megan Mostow (nee Nowland) is a resident and former intern of Dr. Meredith Grey, who considers giving her to George O'Malley. She has a relationship with Intern Pierce, which ends when she has an affair with Steve that results in a pregnancy. During the hospital merger, the Chief fires her by e-mail, and she later decides to sue the hospital, believing her dismissal is related to her pregnancy. She is later rehired by Derek Shepherd, who believes she was fired unjustly and deserves a "fighting chance."
Intern Laura Candice Afia 4, 5, 6 25
A former surgical intern under Dr. Alex Karev, Laura is rebuked by Izzie Stevens when she makes fun of a patient with a facial deformity.
Dr. Sadie Harris Melissa George 5 8
An intern and former best friend of Meredith, Sadie has self-harm tendencies and later quits Seattle Grace after her medical knowledge and expertise are called into question.
Dr. Norman Shales Edward Herrmann 4 3
An elderly surgical intern assigned to second-year Dr. Alex Karev, Dr. Shales is a former pharmacist who, because of his age, is often mistaken by patients for the senior physician. He has since transferred into psychiatry.
Dr. Heather Brooks Tina Majorino 9, 10 22
An intern on Season 9, Dr. Brooks briefly sleeps with Dr. Alex Karev, who is having sex with intern after intern at the time. Her quick reflexes contribute to her being picked by Dr. Derek Shepherd to receive lessons in the neurosurgical field. Heather dies from complications in Season 10 premiere after being electrocuted while trying to find Dr. Richard Webber. She finds him in a pool of water and she steps onto the water before realizing that it was "live", she falls and hits her head. After she's found, Dr. Shepherd and Dr. Shane Ross operate and manage to evacuate her subdural hematoma, but her brain swells and she dies due to raised intracranial pressure.

Hospital Nurses

Name Actor/Actress Season(s) Episode count
Nurse Olivia Harper Sarah Utterback 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 18
A nurse at the hospital, Olivia has relationships with George and Alex. Alex gives her syphilis, which she then unknowingly gives to George after breaking up with Alex (part of a hospital-wide syphilis epidemic among the doctors and nurses). Alex begins a relationship with Izzie, who finds him cheating on her with Nurse Olivia. The female interns sometimes insultingly refer to her as "Syph Nurse." She is a member of the club "Nurses United Against Mark Sloan," which implies she has had sexual relations with him. During the merger, she is fired and Derek offers to give her a recommendation.
Nurse Tyler Christian Moe Irvin 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 26
Nurse Tyler is one of the members of the nursing staff at Seattle Grace. He attends the nurse strike in Season 2.
Patricia Robin Pearson Rose 1, 2, 3, 5 12
Patricia is Richard Weber's assistant/secretary and previously worked as a nurse.
Nurse Rose Lauren Stamile 4, 5 12
A nurse at the hospital, she works often with Dr. Derek Shepherd. Rose has been the attending nurse on 36 of Dr. Shepherd's surgeries (as she announced in "Forever Young," Season 4, Episode 8). Derek and Rose share a kiss and are dating, much to Meredith's distress as she tries to get over him. Despite their seemingly happy relationship, Rose is soon bothered by comments made by hospital personnel about Meredith and Derek's breakup being only temporary (which end up being true when Derek and Meredith get back together for good). Addison Montgomery sarcastically calls Rose "McRebound," unaware that Rose is in the room. Her prediction proves correct when, in the season finale "Freedom," Derek and Meredith make up and kiss. Derek abruptly leaves this kiss to break up with Rose, signaling the end of their relationship. Afterward, Rose is hostile towards Derek whenever she sees him but, when she accidentally cuts his hand during a surgery, she apologizes and transfers to peds.

Other hospital physicians

Name Actor/Actress Season(s) Episode count
Dr. Katharine Wyatt Amy Madigan 4, 5, 6 18
A psychiatrist at the hospital, Katharine is Dr. Meredith Grey's and Dr. Erica Hahn's therapist. As of the episode "Sweet Surrender," Dr. Owen Hunt has begun sessions with her.
Dr. Raj Sen Anjul Nigam 1, 2, 4 7
A psychiatric resident at Seattle Grace, Dr. Sen sometimes provides consults for the surgeons.

Non-staff physicians

Name Actor/Actress Season(s) Episode count
Dr. Finn Dandridge Chris O'Donnell 2, 3 9
The former veterinarian of Meredith and Derek's dog, Doc, Finn is also the newest love interest of Meredith for some time. Meredith breaks up with him because she is still in love with Derek. Finn's wife, Liz, died in a car accident. The interns give him the nickname "McVet," along the same form as Derek Shepherd's nickname, McDreamy. He dates Meredith throughout the end of the second season, and the beginning of the third season. He competes with Derek Shepherd for Meredith's heart and ultimately loses to Derek because Meredith is still in love with Derek. Meredith realizes that he may be the "best guy," but he isn't "her guy." After she tells him this, he replies, "He'll break your heart again, Meredith, and when he does, I won't be here" and walks out for the last time.
Dr. Colin Marlowe Roger Rees 3 3
A professor at Stanford University and a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon noted for pioneering a procedure called the Marlowe transplant, Colin Marlowe had a three-year relationship with Cristina Yang before she graduated and began her residency at Seattle Grace. He appears months later as a candidate for Chief of Surgery, and ultimately withdraws when his true purpose for joining the staff at Seattle Grace, to rekindle his relationship with Cristina, fails.

Family members

Meredith's family

Alexandra's (Lexie's) family


Derek's family

Cristina's family

Izzie's family

Dr. Webber's family

George's family

Alex Karev's family

Miranda Bailey's family

Mark Sloan's family

Teddy Altman's family

Callie Torres's family

Arizona Robbins' family

Jackson Avery's family

Guest stars

Other characters

References

  1. ↑ "Exclusive: 'Grey's Anatomy' promotes Sarah Drew". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. June 9, 2010. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Stand By Me". Grey's Anatomy. Season 5. Episode 16. 2009-03-19. ABC.
  3. ↑ "Here's to the Future". Grey's Anatomy. Season 5. Episode 23. 2009-05-14. ABC.
  4. ↑ "An Honest Mistake". Grey's Anatomy. Season 5. Episode 16. 2009-02-19. ABC.
  5. ↑ Clack, Zoanne. "Grey Matter: From the Writer's of Grey's Anatomy". Retrieved February 5, 2011.
  6. ↑ Harper, Bill. "Grey Matter: From the Writer's of Grey's Anatomy". Retrieved February 5, 2011.
  7. ↑ Mark Wilding (writer), Kevin McKidd (director) (February 3, 2011). "Don't Deceive Me (Please Don't Go)". Grey's Anatomy. Season 7. Episode 13. ABC.
  8. ↑ Wilding, Bill. "Grey Matter: From the Writer's of Grey's Anatomy". Retrieved February 5, 2011.
  9. ↑ "The Intern Formerly Known as Steve". ABC.com. 2008. Archived from the original on February 8, 2009. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
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