ABC's Grey's Anatomy is losing one of its original and most beloved stars.
Sandra Oh has opted to exit the medical drama from Shonda Rhimes, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively.
Oh has played prickly doctor Cristina Yang since the series premiered in 2005 and will exit ABC's top-rated drama following the completion of its upcoming 10th season. The actress, who was among the stars who signed new two-year deals in May 2012 to return to Grey's through season 10, instead will pursue other opportunities beyond the series.
"Creatively, I really feel like I gave it my all, and I feel ready to let her go," an emotional Oh tells THR. "It's such an interesting thing to play a character for so long and to actually get the sense that she wants to be let go as well. [Cristina] wants to be let go, and I am ready to let her go. We have to start the process, story-wise, for the Grey's writers to think of why she's going to go."
More at THR
Grey's Anatomy - Season 10 - Sandra Oh leaving
Aug 13, 2013
Grey's Anatomy
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WHAT!!! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!!
ReplyDeleteNo. :(
ReplyDeleteEnd the series, Shonda. Seriously. Please.
ReplyDeleteObviously off to open the Sensitivity Clinic with Dr. Stark.
ReplyDeleteNoooo!!!! =(
ReplyDeleteWhat will Mer do without her person. And if they kill her off too, I swear I am going to stop watching.
ReplyDeleteOH GOD!
ReplyDeleteThis has to be the final season! Shonda can't be that stupid
ReplyDeleteThe show won't be the same! .... End Grey's with a high note!
And it begins...
ReplyDeleteOMG, who will be Meredith's "person"??
ReplyDeleteYeah.... that's definitely not good news....
ReplyDeleteShonda keeps saying that this is not gthe final season.
ReplyDeleteHaven't watched the show for ages, but sure feels like an end of an era.
ReplyDeleteThey need to end the season, I could not bare to see Mer and Christina separated.. and if that stupid bitch Rhimes kills off Christina Yang she will be giving the middle finger to every fan that has watched the show over the past 10 years.
ReplyDeleteNooooooooooooooooooo :((((
ReplyDeleteI think I'll stop watching. She's my inspirational person. I'm a med student and a part of my decision of becoming a cardio surgeon was because of her character.
ReplyDeletePleas don't kill her Shonda !!!
ReplyDeleteHense why she is stupid :D - I only hope Ellen and Patrick have the sense to follow Sandra's brave lead.
ReplyDeleteShouldn't a series going into its freaking TENTH season be wrapping up anyway?
ReplyDeleteOh! That's too bad.
ReplyDeleteCreatively speaking, yes. I'm just about on my way out after this season and this announcement has made it easier. Good luck to those still watching,
ReplyDeleteHer husband.
ReplyDeleteWell,knew this was eventually going to happen...shit!
ReplyDeleteI wish her the best of luck. She's become my favorite character on the show, so I'll be sad to see her go, but if she's ready to move on, I hope she has nothing but success. I just hope they don't kill her off - I don't know if I could bear that.
ReplyDeleteSandra Oh has a good head on her shoulders. She realizes that, unlike most of the other veterans on Grey's, the writers have absolutely nowhere to go with her character. She made a hard decision but ultimately the correct one.
ReplyDeleteIt's bad news for fans of her character but it's the right call for her and for the Cristina character. I'd also say that this is good for the character of Owen Hunt as well.
ReplyDeleteThe tricky part is going to be Shonda Rhimes and Ellen Pompeo figuring out (or ABC convincing both) whether or not Meredith and the show as a whole can realistically continue in her absence.
True. Besides, I think it will be very easy to write her off. Cristina is totally committed to her job, she has absolutely no intention of having kids, hence why her relationship with Owen has always been doomed, and there are plenty of other places where she could work. As for Meredith, she has her own life, kids, a husband, and she is capable of living without having Cristina there 100% of the time (btw, she has already. Cristina left Seattle for a while. They talked on the phone and nothing says the same can't happen again, they just won't have Sandra Oh on screen).
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, this is definitely the first line on Grey's obituary.
She DOESN'T have the power, ABC does and ABC wants 'Grey's Anatomy' for few more years.
ReplyDeleteI'm absolutely devastated. I thought Mer&Der would leave but I didn't want to think about Cristina going. Sigh. Season 10 should be the end.
ReplyDeleteIt just may be the first line. I'll be very interested to see if Oh's decision has a domino effect on the rest of Grey's veterans.
ReplyDeleteEnd of the series! Without her there is no series... She is just the best
ReplyDeleteGutted... But as a fan I agree that the show should end at the end of Season 10.
ReplyDeletei thought if a writer wanted to end their show at some point, they could end it, whenever they wanted
ReplyDeleteYea, but you have to agree her arrogance is astounding, I really believes she thinks the show will go on if Ellen and Patrick follow Sandra.
ReplyDeleteGood point about her character not really having anywhere to go now, Bruce. That makes her leaving a little easier to bear.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, I'm also anticipating a domino fallout now.
If there is a domino effect, Rhimes and ABC will be scrambling to salvage the show. I wouldn't be surprised to see them attempt a retooled, retitled version of the show for next fall if enough of the vets leave.
ReplyDeleteI considered that, but then I thought maybe they'd keep the name to try to keep the regular viewers. Who knows.
ReplyDeleteThat only works if Pompeo stays. I suppose, if she does leave, they could simply change the 'e' in Grey's to an 'a' so it's no longer a play on words.
ReplyDeleteOK first off PLEASE DON'T KILLER HER OFF!!! Second END THE FREAKING SHOW ALREADY!!
ReplyDeleteYESS! Let the rest of the original cast go too(same goes for their interns).. Reboot and get some new talent... All the writers from season 10, don't let them go, FIRE them....
ReplyDeleteWith Oh gone, maybe they'll be able to afford her a pay rise to entice her to stay, although i don't see it happening. Especially as I don't think Dempsey will renew either. But who knows, eh?
ReplyDeleteActually, now that the hospital has a new name, it doesn't matter if Meredith stays or not, in terms of keeping the title. The problem is Grey's is turning into ER - except that the characters are the core of the show, and I don't see how it would still be GA without Cristina, or Meredith. But Shonda seems to think differently. Even if the stories are not what it used to be - which is normal to a long term series, but a sign that you should end it while on top, her arrogance shows that she thinks Grey's should be forever.
ReplyDeleteNoooooooooooooooooooooooo.
ReplyDeleteIt's pure speculation on my part but I believe if the show continues to afford Dempsey the time to pursue his other interests, he doesn't really give a damn either way.
ReplyDeleteI don't see where there's a correlation between the title of the show and the name of the hospital. What does one have to do with the other?
ReplyDeleteTheres no Meredith without Cristina. I rather see Derek leaving than Yang. The show can continue, that's no the point, but theres no way that Merdith will be the same without her "person".
ReplyDeleteThis is the last season I'll watch... the end of it will be the end of the series for me
ReplyDeleteWell the hospital is now GREY-Sloan memorial, so I don't know if they'll even need to rename the show.
ReplyDeleteThen they might as well make an entirely new show.
ReplyDeleteI suppose if they want to associate the show's title with the hospital they could but it's a bit clumsy since, as you noted, it's Grey-Sloan Memorial and not simply Grey or Grey Memorial.
ReplyDeleteNO!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so pissed about this, her character was one of most interresting. The only good thing about her exit is: no more Crowen and less Owen. I just hate him so much, I never loved his character, I always thought he wasn't good enough for her since the moment he strangled her.
ReplyDeleteOwen, without Christina? Could be interesting.
ReplyDelete"It's bad news for fans of her character but it's the right call for Oh
ReplyDeleteand for the Cristina character. I'd also say that this is good for the
character of Owen Hunt as well."
- Agreed!!
"The tricky part is going to be Shonda Rhimes and Ellen Pompeo figuring
out (or ABC convincing both) whether or not Meredith and the show as a
whole can realistically continue in her absence."
- That is obviously the main challenge and why I think it's not good news because I think the show will suffer. It can survive and limp along without Cristina and the Meredith/Cristina dynamic (many other shows have), but the absence will be felt.
It's things like these why IMO shows should learn when to call it quits.
it was the first time in a recent interview where I heard him be more "open" to the idea of sticking around. Honestly I think he's on his way to become a recurring player if the show continues.
ReplyDeleteI didn't say it wasn't lazy.
ReplyDeleteWhat I was trying to say is that they do have an easy out if they want to keep the brand intact....
I'm not criticizing. My suggestion was just as lazy.
ReplyDeleteSo we all agree it's lazy then! ;D
ReplyDeleteDerek just cab't leave w/o Mer. If he did then they would probably make Deredk cheat on Mer, and there would the whole Divorce drama and who wants to see that?
ReplyDeleteBut I don't see that happening becasue Derek loves Mer too much and there have been enough cheating spouses on this show
Okay, now that I has processed this I do recall McKidd saying that Cristina will help Owen find the person he can have a child with. Maybe the will add a new Cardio doctor when Cristina hands in her resignation and that will be Owen new love interest. If it works out she could be made regular is Season 11. But I have to say that no one can replace Oh.
ReplyDeleteShonda if she is leaving meake this one the Final season COMON! GA without Christina IS NOT GA! please
ReplyDeleteThis is a shocker. Somehow, it got very real in my head that Grey's could end. Even though it is not what it used to be all the time, it has some excellent moments still and I still love the show... It's still Grey's. This being said, I would have trouble keep watching without the original cast members. I don't know how i feel about Meredith without Christina and she was far from being my favorite character, she is just too integral to the show. Completely understandable and the actress is being formidable about it, but still sad.
ReplyDeleteI think Owen is an excellent character, with or without Christina. He has a lot of internal drama and that is good for a show like GA.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this. And I think even Shonda knows that she cannot go there, she would loose half of the fandom.
ReplyDeleteThere was speculation last time around that he would become a recurring player, so it is possible that will happen this time.
ReplyDeleteI don't think she would dare to kill Christina. But then again, I never thought she would go there with Mark.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this. It can survive but it will be very felt.
ReplyDeleteNO!!
ReplyDeleteGuys, i don't wanna see Derek leaving as well, what I was saying is that Meredith and Yang are like only one person, they have to be together. It's like Mulder without Scully. Don't make any sense.
ReplyDeleteTo ME she will do more missing. That's all. :D
Noooooooooooooooo. WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING? I'm so sad.
ReplyDeleteThe only positive is that Owen/Cristina won't end up together.
I love Owen. It´ll be great if we to see some storylines focused on him as a single man.
ReplyDeleteThis is the saddest new I've heard from the TV world, even saddest than Nikita's final season... I would only be able to start recovering from this if someday before the end of Grey's I'd see Addison, Amelia and Izzie back in the show...
ReplyDelete"Even though it is not what it used to be all the time, it has some excellent moments still and I still love the show... It's still Grey's."
ReplyDelete100% agree with you on this. A lot of people have fallen out of love with Greys, but for me it is still excellent TV and it's still my favourite show currently airing. Even if it has gone slightly downhill from what it used to be, it is little considering it has been ten years and the quality of most shows drops considerably more after only 3-4 seasons.
ahhhhhhhhhhh NOOOOOOOOOOOO
ReplyDeleteCreatively, there was no other plausible way to write Mark off the show, I feel like he is the only main character whose death was justified because there was no way he would have abandoned Callie & Sophie and he never would have found love with someone else anyway. That said, I never thought Mark would be one to bite the dust either but I don't think they will kill Cristina. She doesn't want to repeat the disaster that was Lexi's death, so she asked very early on who would be leaving and who stays.
ReplyDeleteI was optimistic and but I understand why she wants to leave. 10 years playing the same character is an eternity and I wish her all the best in her career.
ReplyDeleteOnce thing is clear, ABC has no intention of letting the show end after this season, regardless of who leaves in who stays. That's the very reason why they introduced a whole new set of characters in S9, so that the show has enough charactes the audience is already familiar with, in case more originals leave the show than they anticipated. It's sad but understandable that Sandra wants to leave. Patrick will probably be the next one to go.
I think the show can survive without her, I even think the show can go on without Derek. The only person the show can't afford to lose is Meredith.
I am sad and upset but also glad that she didn't wait until half the season was over to say it. Now I am just hoping that they won't kill her off but it's Grey's so it's very well in the realm of possibilities.
ReplyDeleteShe ran a bus over George, gave Izzie Cancer, killed Adele, gave Denny a blood clot dumped a plane on top of Lezie and Mark. I think she would kill Meredith if she thought she could get away with it.
ReplyDeleteTrue
ReplyDeleteI don't buy that there was n other way to write off Mark. They could have had him being so devastated by Lexie's death that he had to move away from the hospital, period. They could then have Callie and Arizona frequently mentioning that Sophia was visiting Mark and so on and so forth. I don't think it was that much of a corner writing wise as some people make it out to be. On another note, and not that I would have liked it most likely, but even Shonda admitted that with PP ending at the same time, she toyed with the idea of simply having Addison and Mark moving away together - were it not for the Jake character on PP and how well it was working with Addison and her storyline, she practically said that's where she would have gone. However, for me, the strangest thing isn't even Mark being killed, as it is Mark AND Lexie both being killed at the same time when they could have had their happy ending and exit together. I can only imagine that Shonda did not know about Eric Dane leaving when she killed off Lexie, but then again, I can't believe she imagined the fandom would ever accept Mark with someone else after the way she killed Lexie.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, Izzie survived her cancer and her cancer episodes are some of my favorite GA episodes ever, Adele was a minor character whose death was long coming and that made sense story wise and Denny was always brought in to die. The only two instances in which you can argue there are George's death and the whole Lexie & Mark thing. I don't think she would ever touch Meredith, Christina or Derek though. But I could be wrong, who knows.
ReplyDeleteShe is the only one who keeps me watching.
ReplyDeleteIf it wasn't for her, I'd have stopped watching years ago.
I hope you are right my friend. But this womans ego is incredible, she probably has a god mentality of these characters. But, I hope that Oh and the other writers don't let her do anything to drastic to Christina.
ReplyDelete