Jessica Capshaw’s Season 20 Return Is the Latest ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Comeback

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Biggest ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Returns Over the Years

Throughout its lengthy run, Grey’s Anatomy has said goodbye — and then hello again — to countless popular characters. As the first series regular to exit from the ABC medical drama, fans were surprised when Isaiah Washington (Preston Burke) returned to Grey’s Anatomy in 2014 — seven years after he was fired for using a homophobic slur during a fight with Patrick Dempsey. “He was nervous,” creator Shonda Rhimes told Entertainment Weekly about his season 10 return, which helped wrap up Sandra Oh (Cristina Yang)’s story line. “I have to be the keeper of the story and make sure that we’re telling the story we need to tell, regardless of whatever outside factors are involved or whatever history is involved.” Seven seasons later, Dempsey made a brief cameo as Dr. Derek Shepherd that excited fans as his character was killed off in 2015. The actor wasn’t the beloved character to reprise his role for Grey’s Anatomy, which entered season 20 in 2024. Scroll through for more on the biggest returns over the years:

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Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Despite his (devastating) death in season 2, Morgan’s Denny Duquette appeared in seasons 3 and 5 as a ghost.

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T.R. Knight

Knight’s George visited Meredith on the beach during season 17 after the actor’s character died during the season 5 finale in 2009.

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Isaiah Washington

Following his controversial exit after season 3, Washington returned to help wrap up Oh’s story line in season 10.

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Tessa Ferrer

After starring on seasons 9 and 10 of Grey’s Anatomy, Ferrer’s Leah Murphy returned to several season 13 episodes.

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Sarah Utterback

After recurring during the first six seasons, Utterback’s Nurse Olivia (a.k.a syph nurse) returned for a season 14 episode.

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Kim Raver

After appearing in a full-time capacity for seasons 6-8, Raver’s Teddy Altman appeared as a guest star on season 14 before becoming a series regular again during season 15.

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Skyler Shaye

Meredith’s first patient, Katie Bryce, famously reappeared in a 2016 episode and 2019 episode (for season 16).  

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Patrick Dempsey

Dempsey’s McDreamy appeared in several season 17 episodes through Meredith’s COVID-19 coma.

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Eric Dane and Chyler Leigh

Dane’s Mark Sloan and Leigh’s Lexie Grey also joined Meredith on the beach during season 17. “Mark Sloan and Lexie Grey are embedded in the DNA of that show, and also literally, Lexie and Meredith share the same DNA. So, I think there’s a connectivity there and reminding her that, gone but not forgotten, we’re always around if you need us, and it’s too early for you to stay on the beach,” Dane told Deadline after the episode aired in 2021.

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Scott Speedman

Fans were surprised when Dr. Nick Marsh — a transplant surgeon who flirted with Meredith for one episode during season 14 — returned for season 18.

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Sarah Drew

After nine seasons on the cast, news broke in 2018 that Drew and Jessica Capshaw were out ahead of season 15. Three years later, she returned to give fans a chance to see April and Jackson (Jesse Williams) on screen again in season 18 before he left the series.

“I had an absolute ball getting to work with Jesse again. We have such a great working relationship and such a wonderful friendship, and it’s so easy,” the Cruel Summer actress gushed to Us in 2021. “It’s so easy to act with him. We just had so many years to pull from. We know how one another works. We know how to support one another in a scene. We know how to talk through something. We know how to be each other’s cheerleaders. … I think Japril fans will just be excited to see the two of us sharing time together in front of the camera.”

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Abigail Spencer

Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd)’s sister returned for the season 18 premiere to attend Owen and Teddy’s wedding in 2021 after appearing in several episodes during seasons 14 and 15.

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Kate Burton

Meredith’s mother, Ellis, dying hardly stopped Burton from making cameos on the series over the years. In 2021, news broke that the actress would appear on multiple season 18 episodes.

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Kate Walsh

Walsh, who was a series regular on Grey’s Anatomy for seasons 2 and 3, made several guest appearances after leaving the show for its spinoff Private Practice. After last appearing in season 8, news broke in 2021 that the Emily in Paris actress would appear on season 18 in 2021.

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Jesse Williams

The actor was written out of the show in season 17 when he opted to pursue other opportunities. However, he returned as Jackson for the 400th episode of Grey’s Anatomy nearly one year later. He confirmed that he’ll guest star and direct a season 19 episode, set to air in November 2022. 

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Greg Germann

Shortly after Jesse Williams revealed his plans to return for a season 19 cameo, TVLine reported that Germann would also appear in a November 2022 episode of Grey’s Anatomy. His character, Tom Koracick, moved to Boston with Jackson at the end of season 17 in order to help him run his mother’s Catherine Fox Foundation, making his costar’s return the perfect opportunity to reappear on the medical drama.

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Jessica Capshaw

Capshaw played Dr. Arizona Robbins from season 5 to season 14 of the medical drama. She was written off the show when Robbins left Seattle for New York City so her daughter, Sophia, would be able to see her other mom, Dr. Callie Torres, more often. In February 2024, Deadline reported that Capshaw would be reprising her role during season 20 for an April episode.