Shonda Rhimes is one of the biggest names in modern television history, with an expansive media empire called Shondaland dominating the industry. Since 2005, she’s cranked out several bangers, including How to Get Away With Murder, Scandal, Bridgerton, and, of course, her gem Grey’s Anatomy.
Grey’s Anatomy has been on the air for nearly two decades, with its 21st season cementing the show as the longest-running medical drama show in primetime TV history. It’s a highly beloved series that shines in Shondaland, even spawning two spinoff shows in Private Practice and Station 19. That said, Grey’s Anatomy seems to be the hub for special appearances, with some pretty big names popping up across the seasons as patients and staff, including several stars featured in other Shondaland productions and many Station 19 cast members.
Miguel Sandoval Played Two Characters in Grey’s
Miguel Sandoval played a significant role at the beginning of Station 19’s run as Pruitt Herrera. His character started strong as the captain of the firehouse, but the show’s pilot immediately pelted him with health problems. In the episode, he collapses on the scene of an apartment fire and later discovers he has stage two cancer, forcing him to step down from his position. Despite the unfortunate circumstances immediately into the series, Herrera remains a pivotal character as a mentor and a guiding source of wisdom for the team. His cancer battle is a major storyline throughout the first couple of seasons, which keeps him connected to the medical side of the Grey’s Anatomy universe. But his death in Season 3 wasn’t health-related, as he sacrificed himself to save his team during a storage facility fire. Even though he died early on in the show, it’s clear that Pruitt Herrera’s legacy lasted until the finale.
Character Played
Station 19 / Grey’s Anatomy Seasons
Pruitt Herrera / Hank
S19: 1-4 / GA: 9,16
As mentioned above, Herrera’s health was on the decline throughout the series, which naturally landed him in a patient bed at Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital several times. One of his most notable episodes in Grey’s is a crossover event that finds him on Dr. Miranda Bailey’s service, lining up his six-month prognosis with her miscarriage, leading Herrera and Ben Warren to drink at Joe’s bar in time for a car to crash through the building. That said, though, Captain Herrera wasn’t Miguel Sandoval’s first appearance in Grey’s Anatomy, as he also appeared in a Season 9 episode as Hank, whose husband was a longtime patient of Bailey’s.
Carlos Miranda’s Character Almost Died at Grey Sloan
Carlos Miranda first appeared in Station 19’s fourth season as Theo Ruiz. At first, Theo is just a masked man who passes Vic Hughes on her morning runs during the Covid era, but his introduction comes when they stop to talk, taking off their masks to meet, only for Vic to realize that he’s a fellow firefighter at Station 23. His introduction sparked a new romance opportunity for Vic, but various things work against them as he becomes a more significant character. Theo’s time throughout the series spotlights his past trauma in leadership positions, as his close friend died due to a decision he made while captain at another station. He’s a strong leader and overall character until the show’s conclusion.
| Character Played | Station 19 / Grey’s Anatomy Seasons |
|---|---|
| Theo Ruiz | S19: 4-7 / GA: 18-20 |
Theo’s entry into Grey’s Anatomy is pretty simple, as he just appears to sit by Vic’s bedside at the hospital in Season 18. His most notable episode in Grey’s Anatomy is likely in the Season 20 finale, “Burn it Down,” as Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital responds to an injury he suffered on the scene during a wildfire. His injuries are extensive as a large tree branch fell on him, leading to abdominal crush injuries, pelvis fracture, open femur fracture, and requiring intubation, which, as all Grey’s fans know, is a horrendous combination. Luckily, he pulls through by the episode’s end and could return to Grey’s Anatomy at some point, though probably not as a firefighter, as he gave up his helmet to become Seattle’s fire inspector shortly after his accident.
Boris Kodjoe Was Barely in Grey’s Anatomy
Boris Kodjoe’s character, Robert Sullivan, entered Station 19 in Season 2’s premiere episode, but barely, as he only popped up during a flashback to Dean Miller and Jack Gibson’s training around five years before the episode’s events, where he reprimands the men for fighting. As the new captain, his character has a better introduction in the second episode. He’s pretty intense at first, clashing with the team before his backstory gets explored. A central part of his character is the tremendous losses he faced as a young widower and a former Marine, who lost his parents at sixteen, responded to his wife’s fatal car accident, watched atrocities unfold in Iraq, and other notable traumas. Throughout Station 19, he has a romance plot with Andy Herrera, even marrying her briefly, and a significant storyline involving substance abuse.
| Character Played | Station 19 / Grey’s Anatomy Seasons |
|---|---|
| Robert Sullivan | S19: 2-7 / GA: 15, 19 |
Sullivan is one of the Station 19 crew members who has technically shown up in Grey’s Anatomy but doesn’t make much of an impact on any of the plots. His first appearance was in a Season 15 episode, where he shows up alongside a couple of coworkers to check on their fire chief, Lucas Ripley, after collapsing outside a flower shop. His most recent appearance in Season 19 played a small part in the plot, as he was among the firefighters fighting to save Meredith’s house as it burnt down, which acted as the final straw for Meredith, who moved to Boston shortly after.
Jay Hayden’s Crossover into Grey’s Anatomy Featured Queer Injustices
Jay Hayden first appeared in Station 19’s premiere episode as Travis Montgomery, a firefighter in the titular firehouse. He was the show’s first openly gay main character, and his time throughout the series spotlights his troubles as a young widower like Sullivan. Unfortunately, his loss connects to Ruiz, as his husband, Michael, was Ruiz’s aforementioned friend killed in the line of duty. Travis is sort of an activist, especially near the show’s end, as he notably runs for Seattle mayor to challenge a corrupt politician aiming to dismantle the station’s beloved Crisis One program. A significant part of his character centers around his sexuality and struggles with his father, which is a common theme in the Grey’s Anatomy universe.
| Character Played | Station 19 / Grey’s Anatomy Seasons |
|---|---|
| Travis Montgomery | S19: 1-7 / GA: 17, 18 |
Travis Montgomery first pops up at the beginning of Grey’s Season 17, featuring Grey Sloan amid the pandemic’s toughest period. It opens with the Station 19 crew and Grey Sloan team doing their morning clapout to celebrate their fellow essential personnel. His appearance in the episode is brief, as he simply transports a patient to the hospital despite the ER not accepting trauma patients. His most recent appearance is in Season 18, with his main scene in the episode highlighting the extreme blood shortage and how, as a gay man, he’s not allowed to help. The issue also comes up with Jake Borelli’s Dr. Levi Schmitt later in the episode, reflecting on the injustice faced when queer individuals aren’t allowed to save lives as they’ve dedicated their lives to do.
Grey Damon’s Jack Could Return to Grey’s
Grey Damon’s Jack Gibson also appeared in the pilot, appearing immediately as a love interest for Andy Herrera, with their romance adding a sprinkle of tension when they’re both appointed to joint leadership positions in the station. Overall, the biggest part of his character centers around his traumatic childhood, as he grew up in foster care, lost his foster family, and later experienced issues reuniting with his biological relatives. Unfortunately, Gibson can’t catch a break as by the show’s end, he suffered a traumatic brain injury and had to be removed from duty because of his high likelihood of developing a serious neurodegenerative disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. Gibson’s tragic send-off shows a station dinner where he writes his name under the table alongside other fallen firefighters.
| Character Played | Station 19 / Grey’s Anatomy Seasons |
|---|---|
| Jack Gibson | S19: 1-7 / GA: 16-18 |
His first big appearance in Grey’s Anatomy is the same Season 16 episode that introduced Pruitt Herrera to the medical side. He appears in the first part of the crossover event as Dr. Jo Wilson picks up a baby surrendered through the safe haven program, and then Station 19 responds when a car crashes into the Emerald City Bar. While it could’ve been a great opportunity to feature Gibson in Grey’s, Amelia Shepherd operated on his brain bleed in a strictly Station 19 episode. His final episode in Grey’s is heartbreaking, but he doesn’t play a big role, as he simply rides in an ambulance. Even though he got taken out of the game, his traumatic brain injury could bring him back to Grey Sloan eventually.
Okieriete Onaodowan Will Cary on in Spirit
Okieriete Onaodowan plays Dean Miller in Station 19, introduced in the first episode. His background isn’t as dramatic as other characters, as he switched from a corporate job to firefighting after saving a coworker’s life after an overdose. Later on in the show, the biggest part of his character is being a single father to a tiny human named Pru. Dean also created Crisis One, a program designed to send different first responders to emergencies, like mental health professionals, to mental health crises. Crisis One was a perfect opportunity for Station 19 to reflect on the real-life dangers of police confrontations, especially given how the characters have had encounters with corrupt and violent cops. Tragically, Dean Miller is likely now best known for his sudden death in Season 5, as he died during a gas line explosion, with the episode of Station 19 ending with him flatlining. Even though he died, Miller was part of Station 19 until its end and will stay intertwined in Grey’s universe through little Pru.
