Grey's Anatomy cast: Who is joining, leaving and returning in season 21?

There are also plenty of mainstays that have appeared in the hit series over the years.

The show’s titular lead character Dr Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) departed Grey's Anatomy as a series regular last season, but fortunately she didn’t say goodbye to the series for good, instead taking on a scaled-back role.

It goes without saying that there are full spoilers for the Grey's Anatomy cast ahead, so if you haven't caught up or are new to the show, be warned!

Read on to find out everything you need to know about the cast of Grey's Anatomy, including current series regulars and major cast members who have left the series.

Grey's Anatomy cast: Full list of current series regulars in medical drama

You can find the full list of characters and actors in Grey's Anatomy who are current series regulars.

As the series boasts an extensive cast of guest stars, you can find out more about the main characters below, including where you've seen the actors before.

• Ellen Pompeo as Dr Meredith Grey
• Chandra Wilson as Dr Miranda Bailey
• James Pickens Jr as Dr Richard Webber
• Kevin McKidd as Dr Owen Hunt
• Caterina Scorsone as Dr Amelia Shepherd
• Camilla Luddington as Dr Jo Wilson
• Kim Raver as Dr Teddy Altman
• Jake Borelli as Dr Levi Schmitt
• Chris Carmack as Dr Atticus Lincoln
• Debbie Allen as Dr Catherine Fox
• Anthony Hill as Dr Winston Ndugu
• Alexis Floyd as Dr Simone Griffith
• Harry Shum Jr as Dr Benson 'Blue' Kwan
• Adelaide Kane as Dr Jules Millin
• Midori Francis as Dr Mika Yasuda
• Niko Terho as Dr Lucas Adams
• Natalie Morales as Dr Monica Beltran
• Scott Speedman as Dr Nick Marsh
• Jaicy Elliot as Dr Taryn Helm
• Jason George as Dr Ben Warren

Who is joining Grey's Anatomy in season 21?

Sophia Bush plays Dr Cass Beckman

When is Dr Cass Beckman arriving? Season 21 episode 6.

A new trauma doctor, Dr Cass Beckman arrives and strikes up a spark with Dr Teddy Altman.

What else has Sophia Bush been in? Bush is best known for her role as Brooke Davis in One Tree Hill, as well as roles in TV shows such as Chicago PD and films such as John Tucker Must Die.

Who is leaving Grey's Anatomy in season 21?

Dr Levi Schmitt (Jake Borelli)

When is Levi Schmitt leaving? Season 21 episode 7.

Introduced in season 14, Schmitt is now a chief resident and is the ex-boyfriend of Nico Kim and now dating Reverend James. His character is most notable as being the first LGBTQ+ main role since the departure of Callie (Sara Ramirez) and Arizona (Jessica Capshaw).

What else has Jake Borelli been in? Prior to Grey's, Borelli starred in Nickelodeon's The Thundermans and has also featured in NCIS: Los Angeles, iCarly and Greek.

Dr Mika Yasuda (Midori Francis)

When is Mika Yasuda leaving? Season 21 episode 8.

Another in the batch of recent interns at Grey Sloan Memorial, Mika received a grant from the hospital so she could continue without the looming overwhelming student debts.

What else has Midori Francis been in? Francis is known for her roles in Dash & Lily and The Sex Lives of College Girls. She has also starred in various stage productions and films including Ocean's 8, Good Boys and Unseen.

Who else is returning in Grey's Anatomy season 21?

Ellen Pompeo plays Dr Meredith Grey

Who is Meredith Grey? The lead and namesake of the series, Meredith started off in Grey's as a bright-eyed intern and has now made her way up the ranks, currently dedicating her life to researching Alzheimer's disease.

Her on-off relationship then marriage to Derek, friendships with her colleagues, near-death experiences and flings since Derek's death have formed many storylines - but now she's dealing with her covert research being found out by Catherine Fox.

What else has Ellen Pompeo been in? Aside from leading Grey's, Pompeo has starred in films like Daredevil, Old School and Life of the Party. In terms of TV, she has also starred in crossover episodes on Station 19 as well as featuring in Friends and RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars.

James Pickens Jr plays Dr Richard Webber

Who is Richard Webber? Richard has had quite the journey on Grey's over the years, but is currently the chief medical officer of Catherine's foundation, as well as an attending general surgeon at Grey Sloan.

Of course, he was also a notable former chief of surgery, and in his time, oversaw plenty of scandal as well as personal issues with alcoholism and his ex-wife Adele. Now, he's married to Catherine and is the biological father of Maggie.

What else has James Pickens Jr been in? Prior to his notable role on Grey's, Pickens Jr has had roles in The X-Files, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The West Wing, The Practice and Six Feet Under. He has also starred in spin-offs Station 19 and Private Practice, as well as Yellowstone and The Conners.

Kevin McKidd plays Dr Owen Hunt

Who is Owen Hunt? Introduced in season 5, Owen is a US Army veteran who previously served in Iraq and suffered with PTSD from his time overseas. While out there, he worked with Teddy, and the pair have had a 'will they/won't they' romance until they finally wed in season 18. He is the best in the business when it comes to trauma surgery and dealing with the chaos of the ER.

What else has Kevin McKidd been in? The Scottish actor is known for his roles in Trainspotting, 16 Years of Alcohol and, more recently, ITV's Six Four. He has also starred in Anna Karenina, North Square, Rome and Journeyman.

Chandra Wilson plays Dr Miranda Bailey

Who is Miranda Bailey? Miranda is the glue that often holds the hospital staff together, being a no-nonsense force but also lending an ear when needed. Over the years, we've seen her soften, and she's now the director of the residency programme at Grey Sloan. She has bagged the prestigious Catherine Fox award and is married to Ben, with the pair having three kids.

What else has Chandra Wilson been in? Wilson has reprised her standout role as Bailey in spin-offs Private Practice and Station 19 and has also directed multiple episodes of Grey's, as well as Scandal and Good Trouble. Prior to Grey's, she has also starred in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and The Sopranos.

Camilla Luddington plays Dr Jo Wilson

Who is Jo Wilson? Introduced in season 9 as an intern, Jo has climbed her way up the hospital ladder and is now an OB/GYN resident at Grey Sloan Memorial. She was previously married to Alex Karev until he left her for former flame Izzie. Now, Jo is mother to Luna, who she adopted.

What else has Camilla Luddington been in? The British actress is known for voicing the role of Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider video games, as well as starring in William & Kate: The Movie, True Blood and Californication.

Kim Raver plays Dr Teddy Altman

Who is Teddy Altman? Having succeeded Meredith as chief of surgery, we'll just have to see what the future has in store for Teddy after she was fired by Catherine for helping Meredith in her covert research. An old friend of Owen's, the pair have since married after having many relationship bumps in the road, and raise daughter Allison and son Leo together.

What else has Kim Raver been in? Before her time on Grey's, Raver was known for her roles in 24, Third Watch and Lipstick Jungle. She has also starred in 24: Live Another Day, Designated Survivor and Ray Donovan.

Caterina Scorsone plays Dr Amelia Shepherd

Who is Amelia Shepherd? Initially introduced as a guest star and Derek's youngest sister, Amelia has continued to be part of the Grey's universe for over a decade. A recovering drug addict, she is the current head of neurosurgery.

What else has Caterina Scorsone been in? Scorsone had previously also starred in spin-off Private Practice for several seasons but has also starred in Power Play, Missing, Crash and thriller film The November Man.

Chris Carmack plays Dr Atticus Lincoln

Who is Atticus Lincoln? Known by his nickname of Link, he is the head of orthopaedic surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial. He's known Jo for years and is currently in a relationship with her, having previously been with Amelia and sharing a son, Scout, together.

What else has Chris Carmack been in? The actor and singer is known for his roles in The OC, Nashville, Shark Night and various US television films. He has also featured in NCIS, Desperate Housewives and Smallville.

Debbie Allen plays Dr Catherine Fox

Who is Catherine Fox? A revered urologist and founder of the Catherine Fox Foundation, Catherine was introduced in season 8 as the somewhat embarrassing mother of Jackson Avery. Following the death of his first wife, Richard and Catherine marry. Catherine is also one of the hospital's board members, recently going on quite the firing rampage at Grey Sloan Memorial.

What else has Debbie Allen been in? The multi award-nominated actress, dancer and singer is best known for her onscreen roles in Fame, A Different World, In the House and SWAT. She has also appeared in Raven's Home and Grace and Frankie.

Anthony Hill plays Dr Winston Ndugu

Who is Winston Ndugu? Previously married to Maggie (before she moved away from Seattle), Winston is the new head of cardiothoracic surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial.

What else has Anthony Hill been in? Aside from his role in Grey's, Hill has also starred in Watchmen, This Is Us and Colony, and has featured in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, NCIS: Los Angeles and Future Man.

Alexis Floyd plays Dr Simone Griffith

Who is Simone Griffith? Part of the new intern cohort that joined in season 19, Simone is a high achiever and wants to do her best at work - but has some complicated personal issues. She had to face up to her true feelings for Lucas and left her fiancée Trey at the altar.

What else has Alexis Floyd been in? Floyd is known for her role as Neff in Inventing Anna, as well as in The Bold Type as Tia Clayton. She has also starred in Way Down, Dickinson and The Good Fight.

Harry Shum Jr plays Dr Benson 'Blue' Kwan

Who is Benson 'Blue' Kwan? The ever-competitive Blue is one of the latest batch of interns at Grey Sloan ,and is known for not exactly being the easiest to get along with. However, he is dedicated to his job – even if that means spinning a white lie or two.

What else has Harry Shum Jr been in? Shum is known for his various film roles in titles including Crazy Rich Asians and Everything Everywhere All at Once, but in terms of TV, is best known for starring in Glee and Shadowhunters.

Adelaide Kane plays Dr Jules Millin

Who is Jules Millin? Another surgical intern at Grey Sloan Memorial, Jules first came on the scene in her own Meredith/Derek pilot episode whirlwind when she realised she had slept with Link. She is a little bossy but has grown close to her colleagues.

What else has Adelaide Kane been in? The Australian actress and model is known for her roles in Neighbours, Teen Wolf and Once Upon a Time. She has also featured in This Is Us, SEAL Team and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Niko Terho plays Dr Lucas Adams

Who is Lucas Adams? The final person in the batch of new interns, Lucas is actually part of the Shepherd family, so you could say medicine runs in the blood at this rate. He is the nephew of Derek and Amelia, meaning he's also related to Meredith. He has recently been diagnosed with ADHD and has a blossoming relationship with Simone.

What else has Niko Terho been in? The Bajan actor made his TV debut in Sweetbitter and then starred opposite fellow Grey's cast member Jake Borelli in romcom The Thing About Harry.

Grey's Anatomy past characters: What major cast members have left the series?

Sandra Oh as Dr Cristina Yang

Before she became well-known for her starring role in Killing Eve, Sandra Oh was known to many as the fierce, career-driven and no-nonsense Cristina Yang. Starting off in the core group of interns from the first season, Cristina always prioritised work – that is until she fell in love with her senior Dr Preston Burke and then Dr Owen Hunt.

She is Meredith's best friend and "person" - the pair have gone through a shooting and plane crash together, after all - coining the term in the show's early seasons. Now, although she doesn't appear in the series, she remains one of Meredith's closest confidantes and works in Switzerland as the director of cardiothoracic surgery, as well as serving as a chief medical officer there.

Katherine Heigl as Dr Izzie Stevens

Izzie was one of the core group of interns that kicked off the series, going on to have some major storylines concerning patient (and eventual husband) Denny Duquette, battling a rare form of cancer and surviving.

Often being the sweet-natured moral compass of the group, Izzie went on to marry Alex, get fired from Seattle Grace and eventually reconcile with Alex. So, it's safe to say that her journey as a character is far from linear.

Justin Chambers as Dr Alex Karev

From growing up in the foster care system to being the resident 'bad boy' in the hospital when he came on the scene with Meredith and their batch of interns, Alex had quite the character arc in his time on the show. He had an on-off relationship with Izzie, which petered out after her romance with Denny Duquette, and had his own fair share of heartbreaking storylines.

Although he started off wanting to go into plastic surgery, he quickly shone in his eventual specialism of paediatric surgery and climbed up the career ladder, even filling in for Bailey as chief of surgery for a little while. He left in season 16 after finding out that Izzie had used the embryos they froze years ago and the pair rekindled their relationship, with Alex leaving Jo and moving to Kansas.

TR Knight as George O'Malley

George got off to a rocky start when he was an intern at Seattle Grace, but after failing his intern exam and repeating his year at the hospital, George proved himself to be a great surgeon and became known for his elevator heart surgery.

He fell in love with Callie, and the pair eventually got married - but having always been in love with Izzie (and sleeping with her), George eventually came clean about his infidelity. The pair had a brief relationship but George decided he wanted to pursue a career in the army as a trauma surgeon.

But sadly, on his way home after his last day at the hospital, George proved how heroic he was once again and jumped in front of a bus to save another woman (in the season 5 finale). Despite being admitted to the hospital and his friends operating on him, his injuries meant he was unrecognisable until it was too late and he died.

Isaiah Washington as Dr Preston Burke

The former head of cardiothoracic surgery, Preston went through his own trials and tribulations. Having gotten shot and developing a tremor that impacted his ability to complete surgeries, he was assisted by then-fiancée Cristina, but the whole ordeal put major strain on their relationship. Their romance was a major storyline until the collapse of their marriage.

Washington was fired from the show after using a homophobic slur on set. In a statement at the time, he said: "I can neither defend nor explain my behaviour. I can also no longer deny to myself that there are issues I obviously need to examine within my own soul, and I've asked for help."

Patrick Dempsey as Dr Derek Shepherd

The original 'McDreamy', Derek was initially introduced in the series after a one-night stand with Meredith, with neither being aware that they'd soon be working together at the hospital.

A renowned neurosurgeon and eventual board director, Derek and Meredith's on-off relationship underpinned the show's early seasons. Despite the rocky nature of their relationship, the pair go on to adopt Zola and have two further kids, Ellis and Bailey.

He went through quite the challenging period following the season 7 shooting and quit as chief of surgery, but eventually got his career back on track and went on to lead a brain mapping initiative. Unfortunately, Derek died after being involved in a fatal car accident and being taken to an under-staffed hospital which isn't primed to deal with his extensive injuries.

Kate Walsh as Dr Addison Montgomery

A world-class neonatal surgeon, Addison went on to star in her own spin-off, Private Practice. Introduced in season 1 as Derek's estranged wife, Addison wasn't best pleased about his growing relationship with Meredith, creating quite the awkward love triangle. However, she then moved to Los Angeles to open her own practice, leading to her own six-season spin-off.

Sara Ramirez as Dr Callie Torres

Introduced in season 2, Callie was a senior orthopedic resident and went on to become George's love interest, with the pair getting married.

Although she was generally disliked by George's friends, she went on to win them over through the years after having a child with Mark and later getting married to Arizona. Callie is one of the longest-running LGBTQ+ characters in TV history as well, having appeared in 11 seasons of the hit show.

Jessica Capshaw as Dr Arizona Robbins

A preppy chief of pediatric surgery, Arizona is known for her upbeat way of handling things and rolling round the hallways in her wheely trainers.

However, Arizona went through quite the dark period of time after surviving the fatal season 8 plane crash, living with survivor's guilt and her new reality after having her leg amputated. Although she and Callie divorced, she remains the proud mother of their daughter Sofia.

Eric Dane as Dr Mark Sloan

Head of plastic surgery at the hospital, Mark was a ladies' man (known as 'McSteamy') and one of Derek's best friends, with the pair having grown up together. Although the pair were like brothers, Mark had an affair with Addison, but they later patched things up.

He went on to have an on-off relationship with Lexi, a child with Callie and, sadly, was one of the major casualties of the plane crash. Because of his and Lexi's death, the hospital was renamed Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

Chyler Leigh as Dr Alexandra Caroline 'Lexie' Grey

Meredith's half-sister, Lexie was first introduced in season 3 after being transferred to Seattle Grace as a surgical intern. Eventually going on to become a resident, Lexie also only ever wanted to have a good relationship with Meredith, and would often pick up the pieces from their father Thatcher's destructive behaviour.

In her time at the hospital, she had feelings for George, a fling with Alex and an on-off relationship with Mark. Unfortunately, along with Mark, she died in the tragic plane crash of season 8.

Sarah Drew as Dr April Kepner

One of the residents from Mercy West that joined the hospital after the merger, April wasn't liked by many and held her religious beliefs close to her. Under the tutelage of Owen, she goes on to specialise in trauma surgery and marry Jackson, with the couple having two kids together.

However, after the death of their first son, April goes to serve as a trauma surgeon in the army with Owen, leading to an irreparable rift, and so April and Jackson divorce.

Having initially been with paramedic Matthew earlier in the show, the pair eventually rekindle and are exposed when they get into a fatal car accident together. Afterwards, they split and April later decides to go to Boston with daughter Harriet and Jackson to run the Catherine Fox Foundation.

Jesse Williams as Dr Jackson Avery

Another resident originally from Mercy West, Jackson makes a name for himself (despite being from the prestigious Avery medical dynasty) in plastic surgery, working under the tutelage of Mark Sloan. He later became chief of the department following Mark's death and marries April, going on to suffer the loss of their first child and being surprised with a second.

The pair divorce and Jackson then gets into a relationship with Maggie, but they break up in season 16. He eventually realises he would prefer to run his family's foundation in Boston, and so, with April and their daughter, they leave.

Kelly McCreary as Dr Maggie Pierce

Coming from quite the medical power couple (or affair), Maggie is the child of Richard and Ellis Grey, meaning she is the half-sister of Meredith.

Introduced in season 10, Maggie is starkly different from Meredith and is particularly perky, but she doesn't mess around when it comes to her career, having graduated from medical school at 19. Maggie eventually moves into Meredith's home with her and Amelia, often helping out with Meredith's children.

While she does have a substantial relationship with Jackson, they break up and Maggie goes on to marry Winston. Ultimately, Maggie makes the decision to move to Chicago and further her career.

Giacomo Gianniotti as Dr Andrew DeLuca

Raised in Italy, Andrew was introduced as a surgical intern at the end of season 11 and became a resident in season 13. Always having a good moral compass, it came into its own when Andrew suspected an aunt and niece were really a girl and her human trafficker. Spotting the trafficker, Opal, again later in the show, Andrew is stabbed by one of Opal's accomplices and was treated at the hospital.

However, he died from his injuries and later returned in Meredith's beach dream sequence in season 17.

Brooke Smith as Dr Erica Hahn

A recurring character in the show's second and third seasons, Erica was a workaholic who was a long-time rival of Preston Burke's. A cardiothoracic surgeon, Erica went on to date Callie. Caught up in the aftereffects of the Denny Duquette debacle and wanting to report Izzie but being deterred to do so by Callie, Erica quit her job at the hospital and left.

Richard Flood as Dr Cormac Hayes

A previous head of paediatric surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial, Cormac briefly dated Meredith and has two teenage sons with wife Abigail, who passed away from cancer.

Cormac was involved in a major car accident, where Owen admitted to giving medication to terminally ill soldiers to end their lives. Having regretted telling Cormac, Owen told him to forget about his near-death confession, but Cormac had to think about the ramifications of keeping the secret. He eventually handed in his resignation and moved with his sons back to Ireland, thereby keeping Owen's secret.

Grey's Anatomy seasons 1 to 20 are available to stream on Disney Plus now – sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year now. Season 18 is also available on Sky and NOW with new episodes airing on Sky Witness in the UK.

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