3 Grey's Anatomy Stars Who Were Forced to Leave the Show

Many choose to leave to pursue other opportunities, or because their character's part has come to an end.

However, there are a small number of actors who left Grey's Anatomy by no choice of their own.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan

The departure of Jeffrey Dean Morgan left many fans teary-eyed. Morgan played the handsome patient Danny Duquette on the show and became a love interest of Izzie Stevens; their story took the world by storm.

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His character was in the hospital awaiting a heart transplant, and although Izzie did everything she could to get him a heart, he ended up dying tragically. The end of Danny Duquette wasn't only devastating for fans, but for the actor himself.

Morgan would later reveal in interviews that he loved the role and begged the show's creator and producer, Shonda Rhimes, not to kill his character.

His efforts were unsuccessful, and although Morgan feels that his short stint on the show changed his life, a part of him will never get over having to leave.

Isaiah Washington

A far less heartfelt exit was that of Isaiah Washington, who was forced to leave following one of the most infamous behind-the-scenes incidents the show has experienced. Washington was a part of the show until season 3, playing cardiothoracic surgeon Preston Burke. His character was already unpleasant, but the actor himself turned out to be far worse.

Washington was fired from the show after making homophobic remarks directed at fellow actor T.R Knight, whilst he was arguing on set with another actor.

The show has a zero-tolerance policy for such comments, which meant his immediate departure. To this day the actor denies that the slur was directed at Knight, who came out as gay shortly after the incident.

Brooke Smith

Brooke Smith's departure still has fans confused. Her character, Erica Hahn, entered the show to take on the position Dr. Burke has left behind. After the beginning of a brief romantic same-sex relationship with fellow doctor Callie Torres, her character suddenly leaves.

Rumors immediately surfaced that the show had dropped Smith in order to end the romance unfolding between the two women, which producers of the show promptly denied, explaining that there was just no chemistry between the two characters and the storyline of Erica Hahn needed to come to an end.

There is still controversy surrounding her exit, and the actor does believe that the producers simply weren't ready to depict a homosexual relationship on the show. There is still no real explanation for her character's exit.