Who is Stephanie Leifer? Grey's Anatomy season 21 premiere pays tribute
Leifer played a key behind-the-scenes role in bringing Grey's Anatomy to our screens.
The season 21 premiere of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy was dedicated to Stephanie Leifer, who passed away in June, aged 56.
While the name may not be recognisable to fans of the long-running medical drama, those who’ve worked on the show at any point will be aware Leifer was a key figure in the show’s enduring success.
Leifer spent nearly three decades at Disney TV in various different roles before leaving in 2022.
Wondering who Leifer was? Read on for everything you need to know.
Who is Stephanie Leifer?
Leifer was a programming executive who worked a combined 28 years at ABC, the US network on which the series airs, and its sister studio, ABC Signature.
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Her last role was as head of current programming at ABC Signature, which she exited in 2022.
Before that, she had spent 12 years climber the ladder at ABC, starting out in 1994 as an assistant and becoming an executive in current programming, drama development, and comedy development.
Leifer switched over to the studio side in 2006.
During her long career at ABC, Leifer was involved in some of the biggest TV shows in the network’s history including Grey’s Anatomy, Lost and Ugly Betty.
“Stephanie was a beloved member of the Disney Entertainment Television family for nearly three decades, and our hearts are broken by the devastating news of her passing,” a spokesman for Disney Entertainment TV said following the tragic news of her passing.
“She was a highly admired executive, whose creative impact was only matched by the relationships she nurtured both within the company and across the industry. Our sincerest condolences go out to her family, especially her husband and our colleague, Jonathan, and their two beautiful children, Amelia and Noah.”
Prior to joining ABC, Leifer worked for WGBH-TV in Boston as well as for Writers and Artists Agency.
Speaking about the decision to dedicate the season 21 premiere to Leifer, Grey’s Anatomy executive producer and showrunner Meg Marinis, who wrote the episode, told Deadline: "Stephanie Leifer was an incredible person and devoted champion of Grey’s. She truly believed in us from the early years all the way through and supported our creative vision.
"I started my career as a PA, delivering Grey’s scripts to her office, and I remember her door always being open. She was so encouraging to writers and attended several Grey’s milestone events. It was a heartbreaking loss for this family."
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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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