Grey’s Anatomy season 21's returning character gets new details from showrunner Meg Marinis. It was reported in August of this year that Kali Rocha would reprise her role as Sydney Heron, with the return coming 17 years after Rocha last appeared on the medical soap. The actor is set to appear in three episodes of Grey's Anatomy season 21, which returns Thursday, September 26 at 10 PM ET on ABC.
Previewing the upcoming season in comments to Entertainment Weekly, Marinis talked about whether Heron would retain her cheerful persona that tended to annoy the people around her. She spoke about how Rocha, who is also recognized for her role as Halfrek on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, will interact with new characters, with Sydney now becoming an attending. Read the full quote below:
When we last saw Sydney, she was in light blue scrubs as a resident with Bailey. Now she’s an attending, but she’s still the character that I think delighted fans in those early days. You should expect some funny interactions between Sydney and some of our newer characters who’ve never met her.
Sydney Heron's Return Reinforces An Underrated Strength Of Grey's Anatomy
The Show Has A Long History To Revisit
Rocha first appeared in season 2, showing up midway through the season as the upbeat resident Sydney Heron. She filled in for Chandra Wilson's Bailey and helped to oversee the interns while Bailey was on maternity leave. Her approach of healing with love doesn't appeal to everyone, causing amusing and immediate friction with Yang (Sandra Oh). But she also helps Stevens (Katherine Heigl) grieve following the death of Denny (Jeffrey Dean Morgan).
She would continue to appear in season 3 and season 4, going on a date with Patrick Dempsey's McDreamy. The list of characters that she interacts with signifies just how much Sydney is a blast from the show's past, given that her most memorable interactions are with the original cast of Grey's Anatomy. But that, in itself, is among the series' strengths.
Even though the veteran broadcast network show is always looking forward, Grey's Anatomy has no problem bringing back former doctors and weaving them back into episodes when the situation calls for it. It is one of the components that has helped keep the Shonda Rhimes-created soap relevant as it enters its second decade.
What Other Cast Changes Are In Store For Grey's Anatomy Season 21?
There Will Be Some Departures & Other Arrivals
Along with the return of Rocha as Heron, Grey's Anatomy's cast will be shrinking in the upcoming season. Two familiar characters are set to leave the ABC show: Mika Yasuda, played by Midori Francis, and Levi Schmitt, played by Jake Borelli. In the case of Borelli, he'd been a part of the medical drama for seven years and spent five of those in a series regular role. But the fan-favorite won't simply disappear, as Borelli will appear in several episodes to help finish out Levi's story.
As for Francis, who has played Mika for the past two seasons, as one of the show's class of interns, the departure is reportedly amicable as the actor is looking to focus on other projects. Francis is also set to appear in the upcoming episodes in some capacity in order to bring closure to Mika's arc. In general, due to budget restrictions, main cast members will not appear in every episode.
Grey's Anatomy season 21 will welcome a new character, in addition to bringing back a key name from the Station 19 spinoff. Michael Thomas Grant, recognizable for playing Leif on Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, will join as the hospital's new chaplain. Grant's character, named James, is described as a superhero fanboy who's openly gay. Meanwhile, following the conclusion of Station 19 earlier this year, Jason George will reprise the role of Dr. Ben Warren as a regular. Warren, who is married to Bailey, began on Grey's before moving on to the firefighter-focused spinoff.
As for lead star Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey, she's expected to appear in at least seven episodes though that number may stretch into the double digits. Pompeo previously had been working on another series, Hulu's upcoming crime drama Natalia, which is a version of the real story that unfolded in the Orphan horror movies. But with filming for the Hulu show wrapping up, Pompeo's availability could be more flexible.
