Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Release Date, Spoilers & Update: The Truth Behind Ellen Pompeo's Reduced On-Screen Role

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Credit: Jimmy Kimmel Live/YouTube

greys-anatomy-season-19-release-date-spoilers-update-the-truth-behind-ellen-pompeos-reduced-on-screen-role
Credit: Jimmy Kimmel Live/YouTube

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Grey's Anatomy Season 19 will not be like previous seasons. Ellen Pompeo will reportedly not play Meredith Grey physically in the majority of the forthcoming episodes. Is the actress in any trouble? What’s the reason behind the reduced screen time? Here’s what we know.

Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Cast

Aside from occasional Ellen Pompeo appearances, here are the confirmed Grey's Anatomy Season 19 cast members.

According to Netflix Life, Chandra Wilson will reprise her role as Miranda Bailey, and James Pickens Jr. will reprise his role as Richard Webber. They've been on the show since the first season.

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Other returning cast members include Kevin McKidd as Dr. Owen Hunt, Caterina Scorsone as Dr. Amelia Shepherd, Camilla Luddington as Dr. Jo Wilson, Kelly McCreary as Dr. Maggie Pierce, Kim Raver as Dr. Teddy Altman, Jake Borelli as Dr. Levi Schmitt, Chris Carmack as Dr. Atticus “Link” Lincoln, Anthony Hill as Dr. Winston Ndugu, and Scott Speedman as Dr. Nick Marsh.

The new cast members are Harry Shum Jr. as Daniel Kwan, Niko Terho as Lucas Adams, Midori Francis as Mika Yasuda, Adelaide Kane as Jules Millin, and Alexis Floyd as Simone Griffin.

Richard Flood won't reprise his role as Dr. Cormac Hayes, it has been revealed.

Ellen Pompeo’s Reduced On-Screen Role

Ellen Pompeo will narrate every episode of Grey's Anatomy Season 19, but fans may expect to see her in eight of them as Meredith Grey. Pompeo will continue to serve in the role of executive producer.

According to Deadline, the new season will include 22 episodes total, with Pompeo appearing in less than half of them.

Pompeo has taken on a leading role in Hulu's Orphan, which has limited her time on Grey's Anatomy. She's also reduced her involvement as Meredith significantly over the last few seasons. Pompeo is believed to be leaving the show after Season 19, although this has yet to be confirmed.

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Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Release Date

Grey's Anatomy Season 19 will premiere on ABC on Oct. 6, 2022, at 9 p.m. ET. While fans will have to wait a while longer, the cast and crew are already getting excited about what's to come.

Season 18 concluded in May 2022 with better Thursday night ratings, particularly for the 400th episode of the program. As noted by Deadline, the season finale left off with Meredith Grey staying at Seattle's Grey Sloan and not leaving for Minnesota, so fans are eager to see where Grey's Anatomy Season 19 picks up.

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