Fired Isaiah No Longer Fired Up

Isaiah Washington has gone from "mad as hell" to just plain "saddened."

Just five days after ABC made the surprise announcement—for no one more so than Washington himself—that it would not be renewing the Grey's Anatomy star's contract, and five days after Washington responded in kind with his mysterious Network-inspired statement, the erstwhile Dr. Preston Burke is speaking out again, but this time in a way slightly more befitting someone who has been through anger management.

"I'm saddened by the outcome," Washington told Entertainment Weekly of his ousting. "I did everything that the producers and the network asked me to do. I came back under great duress and stress, and thought I was doing the job I was hired to do.

"I thought that was going to speak for my future at Grey's, but apparently that wasn't the same vision that the network and studio had for me."

Among those things Washington was either asked or opted to do in the wake of directing a homophobic slur at costar T.R. Knight: apologize to Knight and cast mates, go to counseling, meet with GLAAD leaders, attend rehab and film a public service announcement on the power of words.

"I can only apologize so many times," he said. "I can only accept so much responsibility. All the players involved have taken care of what we needed to take care of in-house—and the media took it in a different direction. I hope that everyone is happy for the outcome for Isaiah, but Isaiah will go on and do what I love to do."

Washington, along with most of the viewing public, was no doubt operating under the assumption that his actions would help secure his standing with the series, particularly after the network chose not to fire him back in January, when the outrage over the incident had reached a fever pitch. Still, he told EW that, despite publicist Howard Bragman having floated the possibility of filing a lawsuit against the network, no litigation was in the works.

"I don't know anything about that," Washington said.

Washington also relate how Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes informed him of the network's decision.

"She called me Thursday of last week and told me that I would not be returning to the show. Just like she personally called me and invited me to the show," he told the magazine. "It was full circle.

"I knew she was aware of the decision," he continued. "But you have to understand that she's at the helm of one of the top-rated scripted shows on television."

Washington added that he has also spoken to Rhimes since receiving that initial call, but he has yet to hear from most of his former costars.

"Everyone is still on vacation. I don't expect to hear from my cast mates. I did talk to Chandra Wilson and I got a text message from Kate Walsh. Everyone's doing their own thing."

In other words, he's not waiting by the phone for a conciliatory call from Knight. Asked if he and his former small-screen buddy are still on good terms, Washington said, "I don't know. You have to ask T.R. that."

As for the possibility of returning to the show for a cameo in order to tie up some of Burke's loose ends—his character jilted Cristina on their wedding day and took off, destination unknown, without so much as a goodbye—Washington said that while he wouldn't turn the opportunity down, he hardly expects it to present itself.

"If Shonda calls me and says, 'Look, we want you to do something for Grey's Anatomy,' I probably would not hesitate. But I don't really see that happening."

And not because of any lingering animosity on Washington's part.

"I'll miss working with the team," he told the magazine. "Season four is going to be stronger, better and wiser and smarter, and I had hoped to be a contributor to that. That's not the reality."

As for his newfound reputation as a difficult actor, and old allegations getting washed up in the media, Washington said, "Hopefully I'll have an opportunity to address a lot of that down the road. It'd be very cleansing for my soul to let the fans and the general public see a side of me that I feel was horribly represented in the press."

In the meantime, the actor is already busy with a role in the independent drama The Least of These, a part he took on the advice of Sandra Oh, and says he is fielding "a ton of offers in both film and TV," including with "one network in particular that's very interested."

It's probably safe to say that network is not ABC. Or Logo.

"This isn't a time for me to be looking back; it's only a time for me to be looking forward," he said. "I just hope people can understand in the industry and otherwise that it's a horrible misunderstanding what transpired with our show and it was blown out of proportion."

"If the naysayers out there feel that some justice has been served and that they're happy with the outcome, so be it. It's incumbent on me to take what I do, do it well, grow from the experience, and move on."