Why Each Original Cast Member Left Grey’s Anatomy

When Grey's Anatomy premiered in 2005, viewers quickly connected with the drama, the new relationships and Patrick Dempsey’s boyish charm. More than 20 seasons later, most of the original ensemble have moved on for a variety of reasons — career changes, on-set tensions or a desire to spend more time with family.

With Ellen Pompeo stepping back from the spotlight, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. remain as the only original cast members still on the show. Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey exited as a main cast member in Season 19, Episode 7, "I'll Follow the Sun." Pompeo has said it was time to move on: she has three children, a business and new projects, and has shifted toward producing while still appearing as a guest and providing narration for some episodes.

Patrick Dempsey’s Derek Shepherd left in Season 11, Episode 21, "How to Save a Life," after the character’s on-screen death; Dempsey had expressed a desire to spend more time with family and pursue other work, and reports also noted tensions with producers.

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