‘Grey’s Anatomy’: Kim Raver, Camilla Luddington & Kevin McKidd Close New Deals To Continue On ABC Drama

Nellie Andreeva
·3 min read

EXCLUSIVE: Grey’s Anatomy‘s main cast will remain intact heading into Season 17. Kim Raver, Camilla Luddington and Kevin McKidd, whose contracts were all up at the end of last season, have signed new multi-year contracts to continue on the long-running medical drama, I have learned. I hear the pacts are for three years, indicating that ABC and Grey’s Anatomy producer ABC Studios are looking to extend the blockbuster medical drama beyond its upcoming, record-breaking 17th season.

Grey’s Anatomy is in the middle of a two-year pickup which also includes a two-year deal for star Ellen Pompeo, expiring at the end of Season 17. The new contracts for McKidd, Raver and Luddington, which I hear come with significant salary bumps, would carry them past next May should Grey’s be renewed for an 18th season.

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ABC brass certainly hope that would be the case.

“We are in conversations now with the producers” about the upcoming 17th season and beyond, ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke told Deadline last month. “I’m hopeful that Grey’s Anatomy stays a part of our schedule. They certainly know that we’d like it to be part of our schedule for as long as they are interested in making more episodes.”

Burke shared similar sentiment in January. “Grey’s Anatomy will live as long as Ellen is interested in playing Meredith Grey,” she said back then.

Raver was originally a series regular in Seasons 6-8. She returned to the show for a guest arc in Season 14, reprising her role as Dr. Teddy Altman, the former head of cardiothoracic surgery at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. She became a series regular again at the start of Season 15.

Luddington joined Grey’s as a recurring in Season 9 and was upped to a regular the following season. She plays Jo Karev (formerly Brooke Stadler and Jo Wilson), an attending general surgeon at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital who was married to Alex Karev until he left her for his ex-wife, Izzie, last season.

McKidd joined Grey’s Anatomy in Season 5, playing Army veteran Owen Hunt, the head of trauma and former chief of surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

In addition to the returning cast led by Pompeo, Raver, Luddington and McKidd will be joined next season by Richard Flood and Anthony Hill, who were just promoted to new series regulars on the hugely popular series.

Grey’s Anatomy, which moved to 9 PM on Thursday this past season, is the longest-running medical drama on television and remains ABC’s flagship series. It is now part of a formidable 8-10 PM block with spinoff Station 19, overseen by executive producer/showrunner Krista Vernoff. Raver and McKidd already have appeared on Station 19; I hear the trio’s new contracts include provisions about a continuing presence on the spinoff as the two series become more closely integrated.

Like many other broadcast series, Grey’s Anatomy‘s most recent 16th season was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. It was one of the first series to shut down production in the face of the health crisis.

Raver is repped Gersh, Atlas Artists and Sutton, Barth & Vennari. Luddington is repped by UTA, Main Title Entertainment and McKuin Frankel Whitehead. McKidd is repped by WME and Independent Talent Group.

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