Grey's Anatomy is one of the longest-running scripted shows ever, with a cast list that's almost as lengthy. Every season, new characters arrive on the scene just as others make their exit. While most would think that this ever-expanding cast would increase the chances of Grey's Anatomy hiring actors who've worked on projects together prior to joining the show, that's not actually the case.
Besides the obvious Grey's spin-offs like Private Practice and Station 19 — both of which have introduced new storylines into the Grey's Anatomy universe for beloved characters to explore — there have only been a few projects former and current Grey's Anatomy actors have worked on together.
Under the Tuscan Sun
Grey's Anatomy fans love Cristina Yang almost as much as they love Sandra Oh. Luckily, fans missing Oh's presence in the later Grey's seasons have no shortage of her projects to watch, including Under the Tuscan Sun.
Under the Tuscan Sun is the perfect watch for fans who have also been missing Kate Walsh on Grey's Anatomy. Both the former Grey's actresses star in this whimsical film as partners who are expecting a baby together.
Made of Honor
Perhaps the only thing missing from Patrick Dempsey's storyline in Grey's Anatomy was McDreamy in a kilt. Made of Honor brings this headcanon to life, and even throws in Dempsey's former Grey's co-star Kevin McKidd in a kilt as a bonus.
Unlike in Grey's Anatomy, Made of Honor sees both Dempsey and McKidd vying for the attention of the same woman. Dempsey's character doesn't realize he's in love with his best friend until she's engaged to McKidd, and rom-com shenanigans obviously ensue.
Valentine
Former Grey's star Katherine Heigl has made a name for herself as a romantic comedy lead since exiting the show back in season 6. However, her acting credits also include the likes of the creepy slasher film Valentine, which also stars fellow Grey's actress Jessica Capshaw.
At the time of filming Valentine, Grey's Anatomy wouldn't have been on Heigl's or Capshaw's radar just yet. Even their overlap on the drama was short-lived, as Capshaw was just rolling in as Heelys-enthusiast Arizona Robbins while Heigl was wrapping up her time as Izzie Stevens.
Days of Wrath
Though Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Wilmer Valderrama were minor characters on Grey's Anatomy, they both served their time and are still deserving of the title of Grey's alumnus. After playing romantic interests on different Grey's seasons, the two switched it up for Days of Wrath.
This high-stakes film features gangsters, murder, and revenge, which is quite the change of pace from sweet storylines like Denny Duquette controversially falling in love with Dr. Izzie Stevens and Kyle Diaz flirting with Dr. Stephanie Edwards.
The Princess Diaries
As any actor knows, no role is too small. Sandra Oh only has a few lines in The Princess Diaries, and yet she is a certifiable scene-stealer, with memorable quotes like "The Queen is coming."
On the flip side, Hector Elizondo — who played Carlos Torres, a.k.a. Dr. Callie Torres' dad, in Grey's Anatomy — has a much bigger role than Oh in The Princess Diaries. As Joe, however, he's just as much of an attention-getter, cracking deadpan jokes like, "This is a non-riot hearse. And if it were a hearse there would be silence in the backseat."
The Practice
Before they starred alongside each other as two of the best characters in Grey's Anatomy, James Pickens Jr. and Jessica Capshaw worked together on another ABC drama: The Practice. But Seattle doctors these two were not.
Pickens plays a reoccurring detective while Capshaw plays a Harvard Law School graduate and associate at the law firm. In addition, Grey's actress Chyler Leigh also appears in The Practice as a firm associate.
Valentine's Day
Though Patrick Dempsey and Eric Dane don't share any scenes as they did in Grey's Anatomy, their respective roles in Valentine's Day do live up to their legacies as McDreamy and McSteamy.
In Valentine's Day, Dempsey once again dons a white coat as he plays a two-timing cardiothoracic surgeon, while Dane plays a closeted gay professional football player. Also featured in Valentine's Day's all-star ensemble cast is Hector Elizondo, who played Carlos Torres in various seasons of Grey's Anatomy.
Home Sweet Hell
Katherine Heigl plays a wife scorned in Home Sweet Hell, a comedy crime thriller also featuring Grey's Anatomy's Kevin McKidd. While Heigl's character on Grey's ultimately left Seattle to start a new life — a life that included becoming a mom and raising twins — Heigl's character in Home Sweet Hell proves the life of a suburban mom isn't all that it's cut out to be.
In fact, sometimes suburban wives have to literally cut people out of their lives, namely their husband's girlfriend and their husband's girlfriend's boyfriend's friend (played by McKidd).
42
Five years after George O'Malley's final scenes on Grey's Anatomy, T.R. Knight and James Pickens Jr. reunited for 42. The biographical sports film tells the story of Jackie Robinson, played by the late great Chadwick Boseman.
Both Knight and Pickens take on historical figures, with Knight portraying Harold Parrott (who worked alongside Branch Rickey, played by Harrison Ford) and Pickens portraying Mr. Brock, who hosted Robinson in his Florida home.