The first episodes of ABC Grey's Anatomy aired on March 27, 2005, and there have been 375 episodes ever since. A lot of actors have come and gone over the years, which is understandable. A high turnover is expected for such a lengthy show. Actors normally feel the desire to take on different projects while new characters make old ones irrelevant.
A few names that were there at the very beginning are still appearing on the show with no intention to leave. These include Ellen Pompeo, Justin Chambers, Chandra Wilson, and James Pickens Jr. Others left and became successful elsewhere while others somehow fell off the Hollywood radar.
Sandra Oh
Sandra Oh portrayed Cristina Yang for the first 10 seasons. At the time she was leaving the show, her character had grown from a surgical intern to the Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Klausman Institute for Medical Research.
Oh has had a great run outside the show. She currently has a main role in the spy drama Killing Eve where she portrays a British intelligence agent. In addition to that, Oh set new records as the first actress of Asian descent to get an "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series" Emmy nomination and as the first Asian actress to win two Golden Globes.
Katherine Heigl
Heigl starred as surgical oncologist Izzie Stevens for the first 6 seasons of the medical drama. The role won her an Emmy for "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series." She recently returned to the show courtesy of a guest appearance in Season 16's "Leave a Light On."
After her departure, Heigl starred in a number of romcoms. She then went on to have a main role in the legal drama Suits where she played new law firm partner Samantha Wheeler. She also has a starring role in the new Netflix series Firefly Lane. Apart from that, she is set to portray the first female candidate for the presidency of the United States in the limited series Woodhull.
T. R. Knight
Knight was the trauma surgeon George O'Malley until Season 5. The actor gave a couple of reasons for leaving the show that included failure to agree with showrunner Rhimes and his character's lack of ample screen-time.
Life hasn't been bad for Knight away from Grey's Anatomy. He currently has a main role in the critically acclaimed series The Flight Attendant. In it, he plays the judgmental elder brother of Cassie, a flight attendant portrayed by former The Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Knight is a prominent activist too.
Isaiah Washington
Washington's character Preston Burke will always be remembered as the man who left Cristina at the altar. Even though the cardiothoracic surgeon redeemed himself, it's impossible to forget the incident. Washington left the show after the third season.
The actor has had a couple of key roles after leaving Grey's Anatomy. His most notable one is that of Chancellor Jaha in the post-apocalyptic drama The 100. More recently, he has been Mayor Tydell Ruffin in the Starz series P-Valley. Washington also hosts a travel and cooking show titled Isaiah Washington: Kitchen Talk on Fox Nation.
Patrick Dempsey
Dempsey's character Derek Shepherd aka McDreamy had "Gifted Hands." He was the only doctor who would gladly take on the most difficult of cases. His romance with Meredith was also something to behold. In Season 17, he appeared in Meredith's visions after she was diagnosed with Covid-19.
Except for the financial thriller series Devils, Dempsey hasn't been a part of any major productions lately. However, he is actively participating in several other fields, including racing. He is the owner of the Dempsey Racing Team. The actor also does advertising work for brands such as L'Oreal and Versace.
Kate Burton
Burton is best remembered for playing Meredith's mother and world-famous surgeon Ellis Grey. She appeared on the show for the first three seasons then left once her character succumbed to Alzheimer's.
The actress appeared in the other popular Shondaland show Scandal where she portrayed Vice President Sally Langston. The role earned her an Emmy nomination. More recently, she had a guest role in the FOX procedural Prodigal Son.
Kate Walsh
For the first eight seasons, Walsh had a recurring role as Addison Montgomery, the double board-certified OB/GYN, who specialized in fetal surgery. She also portrayed the same character in the spinoff Private Practice.
After leaving the show, Walsh went on to star in the Netflix hit series 13 Reasons Why, as the parent of a child who committed suicide. At the moment, she also has a recurring role as antagonist "The Handler" in another Netflix hit series, The Umbrella Academy. And the Netflix glory doesn't end there. She is in the Netflix Original Emily in Paris, too.
Sarah Utterback
Sarah Utterback played Olivia Harper, a nurse at Seattle Grace who had an affair with both Alex and George. She was fired after it was announced that Seattle Grace was merging with Mercy West Medical Center. Utterback returned in Season 14's "Bad Reputation" in a guest capacity.
The actress hasn't done much after leaving Grey's Anatomy. Her last credited role (apart from her Season 14 return) was in the short-lived 2012 comedy Reception. Hopefully, fans will get to see her in something new soon.
Eric Dane
Dane is best remembered for portraying the medical drama's resident playboy Mark Sloan aka McSteamy. Sadly, the fan-favorite character succumbed to injuries he suffered during the infamous plane crash.
At the moment, Dane has a main role in the HBO teen drama Euphoria where he plays a strict father who happens to live a double life. Prior to that, he starred in the military drama The Last Ship as Capt. Tom Chandler.
Steven W. Bailey
Bailey was one of the actors who got to portray two different characters in Grey's Anatomy. First, he appeared as the anesthesiologist Jeremy in Season 1 before returning in Season 2 as Joe, the owner of Emerald City Bar aka Joe's. The actor left the show after Season 7, though the bar continues to operate.
The actor has mostly landed guest roles in recent years, appearing in series such as You and Shameless. He has also appeared in numerous commercials over the years.