Ellen Pompeo’s Farewells to ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Costars Sarah Drew and Jessica Capshaw Are Too Much
It’s the end of an era. As Grey’s Anatomy stars Sarah Drew and Jessica Capshaw wrap up their roles on the long-running Shonda Rhimes fave, their costar Ellen Pompeo is sending them off with the sweetest farewell notes.
Pompeo took to Instagram to give each woman a shout-out, starting with Jessica Capshaw, who first appeared as Dr. Arizona Robbins in season 5, and whose character had the distinction of being one of the first portrayals of a lesbian in a series regular role on network TV.
“Boom. Thank you @jessicacapshaw for bringing it the way you have brought it for 10 amazing years,” Pompeo posted about her costar, whom she referred to as a GOAT (greatest of all time). “What a blessing you are and what a contribution you made to television history. Lit that screen up with your glow on the LGBT community, making a difference and making it all look so easy.”
Pompeo then gave Drew, who started as Dr. April Kepner in season 6, her own tribute, starting with a simple thank you. “You served up the sugar and spice for nine years and it’s been a blast,” Pompeo wrote. “Your passion and talent for storytelling has touched so many people, provoked thought, and Grey’s is a better show because of it and you.”
The news of the cast shakeup came as a shock to many fans of the show. While there was some speculation that the departures were due to Pompeo’s salary increase, both the show’s lead and Grey‘s showrunner Krista Vernoff have adamantly refuted the outdated and sexist idea, stating that the decision was an entirely creative one.
Meanwhile, Capshaw and Drew have been sharing their emotional final days on the set of Grey’s on social media. “It’s like the last days of senior year in high school where you appreciate every moment and take pictures of everything you do,” Capshaw captioned a recent Instagram post.
So far, no dates have been given for the actresses’ final episodes.
Are you sad to see Dr. Robbins and Dr. Kepner go? Let us know @BritandCo!
(photos via Jason Merritt/Getty Images for Baby2Baby + Danny Feld/ABC via Getty Images)
