Note: This story contains spoilers from “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 22, Episode 18.
“Grey’s Anatomy” is losing one of its most talented surgeons — for the second time.
The Season 22 finale revealed how long-running cast member Kim Raver would exit the series after 11 seasons playing Teddy Altman, alongside her longtime scene partner Kevin McKidd — who played Owen Hunt, the love of Teddy’s life. The episode, titled “Bridge Over Troubled Water” saw as Teddy led the hospital’s response to a massive bridge collapse, while she worried that her now-ex husband Owen had been hurt in the devastation.
The episode was full of Easter eggs to the fated couple’s messy romantic history, from being in a love triangle with fan-favorite Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) in the show’s early years learning about her past relationships and watching her stumble through new ones. After all was said and done, Teddy and Owen recommitted to one another and agreed to leave the hospital together so Teddy could pursue a new job opportunity in Paris.
“It’s quintessential Teddy and Owen,” Raver said of the action-packed finale. “In the height of the storm they are actually this incredible team. Even while they fret about the safety of one another, when they come together they create just a little bit of magic.”
Below, Raver shares her gratitude for a long run on “Grey’s Anatomy,” and shares her hopes for what’s next for her as an actor and director. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Thanks so much for your time and congrats on an incredible finale. How does it feel to reach the end of your time on Grey’s Anatomy for the second time?
Raver: To be a part of such an incredible company and history … It’s hard to put into words but Shonda Rhimes creates such an incredible company. It’s almost like an old school theater company where she supports and writes for and and creates the sort of troupe of actors that are lucky enough to have these long-running experiences together. So it’s been an incredible run, and I’m super grateful for having had such a multilayered and deep character to play for so long, thanks to Shonda Rhimes and the whole team, with Betsy Beers and [showrunner Meg Marinis] and all the writers.
I just absolutely loved getting to play Teddy Altman.
Teddy has one hell of a last day at Grey Sloan, leading the charge on the hospital’s response to the bridge collapse while she worried Owen could have been injured or worse in the tragedy. Then she gets to assist in a surgery to save the patients he rescued from the rubble, and the couple gets back together before deciding to go to Paris for Teddy’s new job. What was your reaction to how Teddy’s story wrapped up your time on the show?
It’s quintessential Teddy and Owen. I love that they’re sort of circling back to the beginning of their time working together out in the field. In the height of the storm they are actually this incredible team. Even while they fret about the safety of one another, when they come together they create just a little bit of magic.
I also love that in the midst of all this craziness, she’s still mentoring and she raises up Blue (Harry Shum Jr.) in this morning of need. It echoes back to her mentoring throughout her time on “Grey’s,” with Sandra Oh’s Cristina and others — it’s just who Teddy is — and that’s why it makes sense for her to go for that job in Paris and juggle that with the kids and the relationship.
Even that moment when she’s a little intense with Richard (James Pickens Jr.) [on Blue’s behalf] she is mentoring. I love that moment, too.
Kevin McKidd was your most frequent scene partner through the years, and also directed your farewell episode. How was it to navigate your final scenes with him on this pivotal episode for you both?
Kevin is such a collaborator, so it was so perfect for me that he was also directing our exit out.
Echoing back to our moments that we felt were important over the years, for the fans, and the placement of them and the meaning of them, it’s an emotional roller coaster as an actor … These characters have been through so much together, and Kevin and I had to navigate all of those sort of emotional ups and downs. It’s like knowing that someone’s got your back. So even as my emotions would kind of [surface], I could just look at him and be like, “OK, here we go.” So it was actually very important and very special and so unique to have Kevin directing this episode.
The big pivotal scene between Teddy and Owen happens in the scrub room after surgery, where they bare their hearts to one another, rekindle their marriage and move to Paris together for Teddy’s new job. It’s a great scene that mirrors the first time Teddy left, but with a much happier ending.
That’s also what I think is very unique about Shondaland and what Shonda has created, the ability to constantly shift the characters and have them actually evolve from one place to another is really unique to this show. In long-running shows sometimes that could be challenging, but the writers do such an incredible job of moving the needle in a character arc and character development, and that is a really incredible task to do.
That felt like a moment where, even though we wanted to reference some previous moments, they’re all in a very different place. This was so beautifully written by Meg and shows that Teddy has definitely evolved into a much different woman, professional and mother and friend and wife. I hope the fans also see it in that moment.
Teddy and Owen’s romance is one of the most talked about relationships in the Grey’s lore, and we got to see Teddy rise to become chief of surgery and is now off to lead groundbreaking research in Paris. Which Teddy storyline stands out to you as you look back at your history on the show?
I think just what an incredibly complicated personal life, but what an absolute force of nature in terms of her profession, and watching her juggle all of that. She’s so incredible in her field as a cardiothoracic surgeon and doing those breakthrough surgeries.
Also being able to honor first responders, and the people in our medical field, especially right now, has just been such an honor. And also, I’ve loved that she’s just not a perfect human being, because none of us are. That is also a real gift of getting to be in Shondaland.
The fans were, rightfully so, really upset when she would make really terrible choices. I loved leaning into those bad choices and what the recovery is from that. And getting the opportunity to be able to play a multidimensional character and peeling back the onion has been such a gift. That’s really been my takeaway, and getting to be with this incredible crew and cast and the fans. I’ve loved all the different storylines that we’ve been able to take with her, and really seeing her as a flawed human being.
I know fans are going to miss Teddy and you on our screens week after week, but this is just one of many iconic roles you’ve graced us with on TV, and I can’t wait to see what you do next. What types of roles or shows would you be interested in tackling next?
Continuing to find these complicated, multi-layered people to play is really what feels right for me. And the bar is set really high when you get to work with Shonda Rhimes and John Wells, and the list goes on and on that I’ve been able to work with throughout my career. So continuing to work with people of that caliber is on the wish list.
Beyond your time on screen, you directed three episodes and got to learn the job on the show. Any plans to return to the director’s chair whether on Grey’s or another show?
Absolutely. That’s definitely a big pursuit of mine right now.
I was so lucky to have Debbie Allen as my mentor. She’s extraordinary and she’s incredibly generous in taking the time to lift up other creatives and allowing them to examine different creative areas. I just absolutely love directing. I love being able to watch all the different actors in the company approach their work in completely different ways and being able to support that. I think, because I’ve been acting for so many years, I love being able to visually figure out how we’re going to tell the story in a much broader way, as opposed to just the one perspective of the actor and that character that you’re playing.
“Grey’s Anatomy” Seasons 1-22 are now streaming on Hulu.
The post ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star Kim Raver Says Goodbye Again: ‘It’s Been an Incredible Run’ appeared first on TheWrap.
