Guess Who's Returning to Grey's Anatomy?

Mitch Pileggi reprises his role as hospital administrator; plus, get our rundown in the cast is staying and who's gone for good

By Jennifer Godwin Jul 14, 2009 11:46 PMTags
Shonda Rhimes' Twitter Pagetwitter.com/shondarhimes

Hallelujah, TV fans! Our favorite shows are finally getting back into gear after the long, dreary hiatus.

Grey's Anatomy mastermind Shonda Rhimes just tweeted, "We had the first table read yesterday! It went great. It was wonderful to see everyone after hiatus!" Who can resist such positivity?! We're excited, too, to turn over a new leaf and put all the old G.A. offscreen drama behind us and get back to enjoying one of the most entertaining medical shows on TV.

In that spirit, network sources have just confirmed that a familiar face will be returning to the show this season. Who is it? Read on to find out and get our official rundown on who's doing what when G.A. returns...

ABC confirms that that Mitch Pileggi will appear in the season-six premiere, reprising his role as a member of the Seattle Grace board of directors. (The news was first reported by TVGuide.com.) It's probably not good for the Chief (James Pickens Jr.) that his boss is descending from on high to consort with the little people. Good luck, Chief!

Now, what's the situation with the rest of the cast? Here's the rundown:

Bob D'Amico

Who's returning as a regular? The following folks are back as series regulars with no complications: Justin Chambers as Dr. Alex Karev, Eric Dane as Dr. Mark Sloan, Patrick Dempsey as Dr. Derek Shepherd, Kevin McKidd as Dr. Owen Hunt, Sandra Oh as Dr. Cristina Yang, James L. Pickens Jr. as Dr. Richard Webber, Sara Ramirez as Dr. Callie Torres and Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey. (Someone please give these castmembers a gold star for good behavior!)

What about Katherine Heigl as Dr. Stevens? Well, despite some backstage quibbles you may have heard about, you just don't let go of an Emmy-winning movie star like Katherine Heigl, and thank goodness too. Heigl did a hell of job with Izzie's cancer storyline last spring. Look for her to appear regularly in season six, although perhaps not quite as front and center as she was last year, just because it's hard to top cancer! (P.S.: Commitment-phobic Alex got married to Izzie last spring. Wonder if that's still copacetic, or if he'll have some adjustment issues?)

What's up with the moms? Ellen Pompeo is due to have her first baby in the fall. No official word yet on what her maternity leave will mean for Dr. Meredith Grey's appearances on the show, but there is some talk that she may be able appear in all episodes of season six thanks to some creative scheduling. Sweet pea Chyler Leigh should be back on the show full-time as Dr. Lexie Grey after having her third kid in May (and then talking to us about the show just days later, because she is apparently supergirl).

Who's gone and who's joining up? Remember when Brooke Smith appeared as Dr. Erica Hahn? Seems like a generation ago. She's been replaced by Jessica Capshaw as Dr. Arizona Robbins. Supercute baby doc Robbins is confirmed to be joining the show as a regular character for season six. Yay for more canoodling with Callie!

Last but not least, T.R. Knight has departed the show. The specifics of George O'Malley's departure will remain unconfirmed and shrouded in mystery until you actually see the premiere on Sept. 24, but the best guess from you fans is that the bus accident finished him off and that season six opens with a funeral for the good doctor.

Are you excited that Grey's Anatomy is back on track? Is it still your No. 1 favorite after six years? Post in the comments!