Chandra Wilson issues a firm rebuttal to the rumor that Grey’s Anatomy season 19 will end the series. The longest-running scripted primetime show in the history of ABC, Grey’s Anatomy has been on the air since Bridgerton and Scandal head-honcho Shonda Rhimes brought the life of Ellen Pompeo's Dr. Meredith Grey to the small screen in 2005. Since then, many famous faces have passed through the halls of Seattle Grace Hospital, including Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Patrick Dempsey, and Jesse Williams.
Of the original cast, however, only three have stayed on. These are Pompeo, whose performance as the eponymous Grey has been carved into the annals of TV history, James Pickens Jr., the pragmatic and loveable Richard Webber, and Wilson, who plays fan-favorite Chief of Surgery Miranda Bailey. It might be the beginning of the end for these three, however, as with the announcement of the Grey's Anatomy season 19 renewal in January of this year came the inevitable churning of the rumor mill that suggested it could be the show's last hurrah.
It was exactly this kind of talk that Wilson was quick to shut down on Good Morning America (via CinemaBlend), when host Michael Strahan said that “[Season 19] is rumored to be the last.” Coming straight back at him with an intensity that fans are used to from her character, Wilson asks, “That’s what the rumors say?” with a firm sense of disbelief. She then addresses both the show's other hosts and the audience, advising them to just ignore Strahan. Check out the actor's quote below:
That’s what the rumors say? See, don’t pay attention to Strahan. He doesn’t really know what he’s talking about. I’m just saying that you really don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just gonna say that. I’m just saying. Right here, right here. Strahan doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
While Wilson and Strahan laugh it all off, it's very clear she doesn’t think Grey’s Anatomy season 19 will be its last. In fact, later in the same clip, Wilson explains that she pretty much takes the storylines for her character as they come, similar to the way in which Pompeo has renewed her contract for only a single year at a time. At the end of season 17, Pompeo, who also acts as executive producer, chose to extend her contract with ABC only to the end of the next installment, while Wilson and Pickens chose multi-year extensions. This means all three original stars are contractually tied to the show until the end of season 19, but, as Wilson is quick to explain, there are no plans for them to stop there.
It therefore sounds like the Grey’s Anatomy main cast are happy to keep returning to their long white coats and dramatic confrontations as long as the ratings keep steady. Luckily for ABC, Krista Vernoff, who returned to the showrunner position in 2017, has overseen a revival in the show’s performance, taking it from number #11 to #5 in the key 18-49 demographic. This, combined with the effective way in which Wilson shut down any fearmongering, should comfort fans of the show, who now have reason to hope it may continue on for long after season 19.
Source: Good Morning America (via CinemaBlend)