Grey’s Anatomy vet Sarah Drew is reflecting on her “unceremonious” 2018 departure from the ABC drama , while also clarifying comments she made in the aftermath of her dismissal.
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Appearing as a guest on the latest episode of the Call It What It Is podcast, hosted by Drew’s former Grey’s Anatomy cast mates Jessica Capshaw and Camilla Luddington, the actress behind April Kepner recalled how the press ran with a comment she made that likened “getting fired” from Grey’s to “attending [my] own funeral.”
As she explains on Call It What It Is , “What I was trying to describe was… [I] was unceremoniously let go in a way that felt mean and unjust, and, because of that, the outpouring of love was so enormous it was like you were sitting there watching people [eulogize you].”
In the immediate wake of her Grey’s exit eight years ago, Drew admitted on social media that she was blindsided by the pink slip , telling fans at the time, “I know you’re sad. I’m sad too. I haven’t really had the time to process this information. I’ve been with it for less than 48 hours, so I’m not ready to say my thank yous and give an all encompassing statement about my 9 years here.”
Drew has since returned to Grey’s twice as April, first in 2021 and again in 2022, and she tells Capshaw and Luddington that those one-off guest appearances have felt “freeing” because “I have no attachment to [the show] at all,” adding, “I had zero anxiety [going back because] I don’t need anything from anyone on that set anymore. They’re not responsible for my livelihood anymore. They’re not responsible for my success or my joy… I’m like, ‘Hey! This is a fun spot to come visit.’”
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The Everwood vet goes on to credit her on screen romance with Jesse Williams’ Jackson with helping Hollywood view her as more than just a character actress — which, in turn, has resulted in her becoming one of Hallmark Channel’s go-to romantic leads post- Grey’s .
“Prior to [April] getting with [Jackson], I always played awkward, grating, annoying, ugly duckling, not-beautiful people,” Drew notes on the podcast. “[I was] the weird stalker who is after [Matthew Morrison’s Will on Glee ], or the pathetic wife who is married to a man who doesn’t love her [on Mad Men ], or the ugly best friend to Emily VanCamp[‘s Amy] on Everwood .
“I was ugly until my character started dating [Jackson on Grey’s ],” she concludes. “And now I’m playing romantic leads.”
TVLine has reached out to a Grey’s Anatomy spokesperson for comment.
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