"Grey's Anatomy" is parking ways with two core characters, Kevin McKidd's Dr. Owen Hunt and Kim Raver's Dr. Teddy Altman, seemingly over creative differences.
Kevin McKiddandKim Raverare both set to exit the long-running ABC medical drama after the Season 22 finale, the actors confirmed on Wednesday, March 25. Their exits are due to creative decisions based on a storyline, but the door is open for their characters returning in the future, USA TODAY has learned.
The show "has been a huge chapter of my life, creatively and personally, and I'm deeply grateful for everything the show has given me over the years," McKidd said in a statement shared with USA TODAY. "I've had the privilege of working with an extraordinary group of people throughout that time."
McKidd, who has portrayed the trauma surgeon since the Season 5 premiere in 2008 and has become a series regular ever since, added he was "particularly thankful to Shonda Rhimes for creating Owen, and for the encouragement she gave me as I stepped into directing."
His character, while not always the most beloved by fans, has been integral to the major plot lines from Hunt's stint as chief of surgery at the hospital to his romances with Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorscone) and also Teddy Altman (Raver).
Kim Raver says Teddy Altman holds 'special place in my heart'
Raver's cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Teddy, made her "Grey's Anatomy" debut in Season 6, joining alongside fellow 2009 additions Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) and April Kepner (Sarah Drew). Altman was not only introduced as a mentor figure for Cristina Yang but also as a best friend and unrequited flame to Owen Hunt, after the pair served in the U.S. Army as trauma surgeons in Iraq.
"Playing Dr. Teddy Altman will always hold a dear and special place in my heart,"Raver wrote on Instagram. "To the fans, your unwavering devotion and support are the reason this show remains such a force. Thank you for making this set my place of magic and my home."
Teddy left the hospital in the Season 8 finale following the death of her husband, Henry Burton (Scott Foley), and later reprised her role as a guest star in Season 14 before becoming a series regular again in Season 15.
"I feel so fortunate to have worked under the brilliance of Debbie Allen, who not only mentored me but welcomed me into the Director's chair," her social media statement continued. "To my amazingly talented castmates and our formidable, tireless crew: playing in this arena with you has been a joy, and I will carry this company in my heart always."
McKidd and Raver's characters have been intertwined since Season 6, with Owen initially grappling with his long-term feelings for Teddy while also being in love with Cristina Yang.
By Season 15, the characters finally pursued a relationship together and later repeatedly faced tribulations from new love interests, including Dr. Tom Koracick (Greg Germann) and Dr. Cass Beckman (Sophia Bush), while sharing two children.
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The actors have also directed several episodes of the show, with McKidd having directed the most episodes in the show's history.
'Grey Anatomy' fans react to Owen Hunt's departure
While Raver and McKidd's exits are somber for the "Grey's Anatomy" family, some fans are cheering at the exit of the character Owen Hunt, who, at times, was far from being a fan favorite.
The trauma surgeon was heavily scrutinized for his actions in his past relationships, including screaming at Cristina for having an abortion in Season 7 and cheating on her in Season 8. Many fans blame him for the deaths of beloved characters Dr. Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) and Mark Sloan (Eric Dane), who died in a plane crash that occurred because Owen had booked a cheap flight from an airline with an unreliable history during his tenure as chief.
"Wait I'm actually shocked. Can they kill Owen off and keep teddy tho," X user @eggscrams wrote while@lovingbenleywrote, "NO WAY ARE WE ACTUALLY FREE OF OWEN HUNT???????"
"Oh look, finally Owen leaves a decade after I quit watching. I wanted him to die the year he came on the show 😂 …the character …I love Kevin Mckidd," user@MollyVegaswrote on X.
Shonda Rhimes says goodbye to 'bittersweet and joyful' exit
Series creator and former showrunner Shonda Rhimes shared a tribute to McKidd's and Raver's exit over a decade after she created their characters.
"Over the years, we have had the privilege of watching Owen and Teddy's love story evolve and deepen- two characters who always seem to find their way back to each other. It is both bittersweet and joyful to give this couple the happy ending their story deserves," she wrote in a statement.
She thanked McKidd and Raver for bringing "extraordinary talent, nuance and heart" to their roles and leaving "an indelible mark on Grey's Anatomy, both in front of and behind the camera."
Isaiah Washington (Dr. Preston Burke, Seasons 1-3): The quiet but intense cardiothoracic surgeon left fiancée Cristina Yang at the altar in the Season 3 finale. Burke went on to win a prestigious award at another hospital and later ran a private research hospital in Switzerland, which he later turned over to Yang when Oh left at the end of Season 10. He then moved to Italy with his wife and two daughters." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Richard Flood (Cormac Hayes, Seasons 16-18): Hayes is introduced in Season 16 as Karev's replacement for chief of pediatric surgery. A single parent and widower, Hayes later bonded with Meredith Grey over the grief of losing a spouse. He left Grey Sloan Memorial in Season 18 after deciding to return to Ireland with his children." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Chris Carmack (Atticus "Link" Lincoln, Seasons 15-22): A child cancer survivor, Dr. Lincoln joined Grey Sloan Memorial as the hospital's chief of orthopedic surgery. Lincoln starts up a romance with Amelia Shepherd after her breakup with Owen Hunt. Although the couple goes on to raise Shepherd's child together, Shepherd turns down Lincoln's proposal for marriage in Season 17." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Jake Borelli (Dr. Levi Schmitt, Seasons 14-21): Something of an underdog, Schmitt was initially known as the intern whose glasses infamously fell on a patient during surgery. Despite the rocky start, he goes on to become a general surgical resident.In his personal life, Schmitt came out as gay in Season 15 and began a relationship with orthopedic fellow Nico Kim." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Greg Germann (Tom Koracick, Seasons 14-19, 21): Koracick came to the rescue in Season 14 when he removed Amelia Shepherd's tumor and continued as her substitute while she recovered. Koracick also struck up a tumultuous love affair with Teddy Altman, despite Altman expecting a baby with Owen Hunt. In Season 17, following a bout of COVID-19, he moved to Boston to work at the Catherine Fox Foundation." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Anthony Hill (Winston Ndugu, Seasons 16-22): Ndugu, an attending cardiothoracic surgeon from Boston's Tufts Medical Center, sparked a romance with his former teacher, Maggie Pierce, in Season 17 when they reconnected during a conference.Ndugu and Pierce eventually married following a long-distance relationship that culminated in Ndugu moving to Seattle. The couple separated in Season 19 when Pierce moves to Chicago and Ndugu becomes the chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Alexis Floyd (Simone Griffith, Seasons 19-22): Dr. Griffith works as a general surgical intern at Grey Sloan Memorial after losing her residency at another hospital following a viral incident, in which Griffith spoke up against a racist superior Griffith lived for a period of time at Meredith's house but later moved out after Meredith moved to Boston." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Harry Shum Jr. (Benson "Blue" Kwan, Seasons 19-22): A Yale University dropout, Kwan was forced to leave medical school when his mother became terminally ill, and he was saddled with debt from his mom's treatments. Kwan resumed his medical career after enrolling at a school in the Caribbean, later becoming a general surgical intern at Grey Sloan Memorial. He also developed an on-again-off-again relationship with Jules Millin." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Adelaide Kane (Jules Millin, Seasons 19-22): Millin, a general surgical intern, was reluctant to enter a romance with Kwan after she failed her previous residency placement due to becoming distracted by a relationship.Millin also struggles in her relationship with her irresponsible family, whom she often has to bail out of legal trouble." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Niko Terho (Lucas Adams, Seasons 19-22): The nephew of Amelia Shepherd and Derek Shepherd, Adams works hard to hide his family legacy and prove himself at Grey Sloan Memorial, where he works as a general surgical intern. Adams later moves into Meredith Grey's house after spending weeks living at the Grey Sloan on-call room." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Trevor Jackson (Wes Bryant, Seasons 21-22): Bryant, a charismatic and brash surgical intern, shakes things up at Grey Sloan Memorial with his messy love triangle with Simone Griffith and Lucas Adams." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Midori Francis (Mika Yasuda, Seasons 19-21): Yasuda, a competitive surgical intern, fights for her career ambitions amid her struggle with student debt.Yasuda's financial troubles inspired Taryn Helm (Jaicy Elliot) to advocate for disadvantaged residents. Yasuda and Helm later start dating, which leads to tensions when Helm becomes Yasuda's boss as co-chief resident." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Scott Speedman (Nick Marsh, Seasons 14, 18-20): Marsh, a transplant surgeon from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, met Meredith Grey in Season 14 when he collapsed during a visit to Grey Sloan Memorial (Grey treated him for a kidney transplant-related blood clot).Marsh and Grey reconnected in Season 18 and developed a romantic relationship when Grey began visiting Minnesota to develop a cure for Parkinson's disease. Despite later splitting up, Grey offered him a position as director of Grey's residency program after the pair performed a triple organ transplant." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
'Grey's Anatomy' doctors who've come and gone, including Eric Dane
Isaiah Washington (Dr. Preston Burke, Seasons 1-3): The quiet but intense cardiothoracic surgeon left fiancée Cristina Yang at the altar in the Season 3 finale.Burke went on to win a prestigious award at another hospital and later ran a private research hospital in Switzerland, which he later turned over to Yang when Oh left at the end of Season 10. He then moved to Italy with his wife and two daughters.
"I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with them both and to see them shine. While we will all miss seeing them in the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial each day, I am excited to witness where Kim's and Kevin's journeys will take them in the future," she wrote.
Current showrunner Meg Marinis said the two stars will always be "cherished members of the Grey's Anatomy" family.
"While their story is coming to a close, this is never truly a goodbye," Marinis wrote. "We are endlessly grateful for the years, the artistry and the memories they've given to the show and we look forward to cheering them on in whatever comes next."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver to exit 'Grey's Anatomy' after finale