Before Station 19 premiered in 2018, multiple actors from the spinoff series appeared on Grey’s Anatomy in guest star roles. This has been a trend in the Shondaland universe, with 19 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy providing many guest stars for her to bring into her other series, such as Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder. Though they may have played more recognizable characters on Station 19, some of these actors also memorably appeared in some of Grey’s Anatomy’s most iconic episodes.
Station 19 is the second of the three Grey’s Anatomy spinoffs, and like Grey’s, it takes place in Seattle, though it focuses on firefighters rather than surgeons. With Shondaland having expanded beyond the Grey’s universe with recent hits such as Inventing Anna and Bridgerton, many actors have had the chance to appear in multiple shows created by Shonda Rhimes. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Rhimes referred to these actors as her “traveling players” and added, “they are just people who are wildly talented, who I love to work with.” Here are six actors who appeared on both Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 in different roles.
Miguel Sandoval As Hank In Season 9
Before Miguel Sandoval landed a leading role on Station 19 as Pruitt Herrera, he appeared in a guest role as Hank in Grey’s Anatomy season 9, episode 7, “I Was Made for Lovin’ You.” In a case led by the actual main character of Grey’s Anatomy, Miranda Bailey, Hank was not the patient but rather the patient’s boyfriend. Bailey shared the case with Cristina and then-interns Shane and Stephanie when he needed dual surgery caused by cirrhosis and heart disease. Unfortunately, Graham’s liver rejected his transplant, giving him about a week to live, and leaving Hank heartbroken.
Though he didn’t play a patient in this season 9 episode, Sandoval would get his chance to appear in a Grey’s Anatomy hospital bed in season 16. Pruitt’s character was akin to Richard Webber in the early seasons of Station 19 as the flawed captain of the station. Unfortunately, unlike Webber, one of the few Grey’s Anatomy characters from season 1 still on the show, Pruitt died a heroic death in season 3. Sandoval left an impact in his three seasons on Station 19, and his minor role in Grey’s Anatomy provided viewers with just a hint of what was to come for the actor.
Tracie Thoms As Roberta Gibbs In Season 15
Tracie Thoms is no stranger to the Grey’s Anatomy universe, appearing in the series and its spinoffs Private Practice and Station 19. Just a year before beginning her recurring role on Station 19 as psychologist Dr. Diane Lewis, Thoms played Roberta Gibbs in Grey’s Anatomy season 15, episode 6, “Flowers Grow Out Of My Grave.” Like Graham before her, Roberta was a patient awaiting a liver transplant.
In problematic Grey’s Anatomy tradition, Bailey illegally performed a liver transplant for Roberta after another patient in Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital passed away, rather than allowing UNOS to take care of the organ distribution. This also went against the orders of Alex, interim chief of surgery at the time. Roberta hadn’t had hope for her survival, especially because she had rejected her previous transplant, but luckily she survived the episode. Thoms is also expected to return to Station 19 following the season 6 fall break, having been spotted behind the scenes of the spinoff.
Josh Randall As William In Season 7
Like Thoms, Randall completed the Grey’s Anatomy trifecta, appearing on Grey’s, Private Practice, and Station 19. Before Owen and Teddy married, the cardiothoracic and trauma surgeon was married to Henry, though it was initially a marriage of convenience to provide Henry with health insurance. In Grey’s Anatomy season 7, episode 15, “Golden Hour,” Randall guested as William, a short-lived romantic interest of Teddy’s, who ended up talking to Henry while waiting for Teddy to get out of surgery. Henry warned Teddy that William wasn’t a good guy, which could also be said of his Station 19 character Sean Beckett, the latest caption of Station 19.
Pat Healy As Tom Russell In Season 2
Pat Healy was recently made a series regular for Station 19 season 6, but over 15 years ago, he appeared on two episodes in Grey’s Anatomy season 2 as Tom Russell. Before Addison left Grey’s Anatomy, she had many interesting fetal cases, including that of the Russells. Healy played the husband of Dorie Russell, a woman who had conceived triplets and then quadruplets with fertility drugs. Over their two-episode arc, he struggled with juggling his toddler triplets and newborns in the NICU but was a doting father, unlike his Station 19 character Michael Dixon, who does not accept his gay son, Emmett.
Rigo Sanchez As Stan The Paramedic In Season 2
Rigo Sanchez also guest starred in two episodes of Grey’s Anatomy season 2, though not back-to-back. Sanchez played a paramedic named Stan, not to be confused with another paramedic named Stan, who died in Grey’s Anatomy season 4. Sanchez appeared only briefly, but his first episode was also one of Grey’s Anatomy’s most iconic episodes, “Into You Like A Train.” Sanchez got his chance to make more of a mark in the Grey’s universe with nine episodes as Rigo Vasquez, whose character died in Station 19 season 3 and reappeared in a season 6 dream sequence.
Rick Worthy As Ray Pelletier In Season 10
The Grey’s Anatomy season 10 finale was one of the series’ most memorable, with an explosion sending many patients to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital in “Fear (of the Unknown).” The blast was being investigated as a possible terrorist act, which is where Rick Worthy’s character of Ray came into the picture as part of the Department of Homeland Security. The finale might be more memorable as Cristina’s last Grey’s Anatomy episode, but Worthy had an interesting storyline.
Despite Meredith’s warnings, Ray was serious and strict in his attempts to question a patient named Mike. Worthy got the opportunity to play a much warmer character in Station 19 as Vic’s father, Anthony Hughes. The two opposing roles show off his range, as well as that of all the actors who appeared on both Station 19 and Grey’s Anatomy, who managed to embody two (or more) different characters within the same universe.
