Grey’s Anatomy season 20 confirms return of iconic fan-favourite

Some familiar faces are on their way back…

As Grey’s Anatomy gears up for its milestone 20th season, it has been confirmed that a major fan favourite character will be making a return, six years after her initial exit.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Jessica Capshaw, who played Dr Arizona Robbins between 2009 and 2018, will officially reprise her role in the new season. Her initial departure saw her character relocate to New York so her daughter, Sofia, could be in the same city as her daughter’s other mother, Arizona’s ex-wife Dr Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez).

It’s unclear currently how many episodes Capshaw is expected to appear in, but she will be joined in the new season by Alex Landi, also returning as his character Dr Nico Kim, and newcomers Natalie Morales and Freddy Miyares.

Morales will be playing Dr Monica Beltran, a paediatric surgeon, while Miyares will be playing the recurring character Dorian, a patient involved in a serious accident.

Capshaw’s character’s exit proved controversial at the time, with then co-showrunner and executive producer Krista Vernoff saying Arizona was written out for story reasons alongside fellow popular star Sarah Drew.

Both Arizona and Dr April Kepner (Drew) exited the show at the end of the fourteenth season, though Drew has made guest appearances in recent seasons.

Capshaw said in a statement post to Twitter, which has recently been re-branded as X, at the time: “For the past 10 years I have had the rare privilege of not only playing Arizona Robbins but also being madly in love with playing her. Arizona Robbins is kind, intelligent, funny, insightful, bold, playful, fierce and really good at her job.

“She was one of the first members of the LGBTQ community to be represented as a series-regular role on network television. Her impact on the world is permanent and forever. Forever. I am grateful that I have gotten to bring her to life and for the life that she has brought to me.

“I am sad to see her go, but I am consoled by the idea that she will continue to live on and on in all of our consciences and our imaginations. Shonda, thank you for the ride on this incredible rollercoaster.”

Along with this casting news, we’ve also been hearing more about the show’s future, with President of Disney Television Group Craig Erwick saying recently, as reported by Deadline: “Right now, our focus is on the immediate future of Grey’s Anatomy, which is celebrating its 20th season, a remarkable achievement, creatively and for the network, the audience and the creators.

“I think the show is as creatively strong as it’s ever been. Not just the live [episodes] you are watching today, but it’s fuelling growth for our streaming platform.”