Now, it’s worth noting that Katherine won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2007. Katherine and Loretta Devine are subsequently the only actors to have won Emmys for their time on the show.
However, the Emmys were a big part of the discussion surrounding Katherine’s departure from the show. Before she left in the middle of Season 6, Katherine withdrew herself from the 2008 Emmys race because she felt the quality of material given to her was not of a high enough standard.
Celebrating the show’s ongoing tenure as the longest primetime medical drama, Ellen began, “When the first episode of Grey’s Anatomy aired in March of 2005, I’m not sure if Shonda Rhimes knew that she had created a show that would have a lasting imprint on television and create lifelong friendships.”
“And yes, there have been changes over the years,” Katherine added, with a pause while Chandra laughed. “But the one constant is the amazing fanbase.”
Chandra continued, “You stayed with us through plane crashes, superstorms, earthquakes, and a global pandemic, and as we start our 20th season, we are officially the longest-running primetime medical drama in TV history.”
“And that would not be possible without all of you, so to all our fans,” James concluded. “To all of you, thank you.”
Before the show, Katherine told People, “It’s really fun for us. It’s this odd, nostalgic walk down memory lane. I mean I haven’t seen Chandra and Jim in 15 years. I haven’t seen Justin in maybe 10. I did just see [Ellen] a year ago or so, but we don’t get to see each other much. These are people that mean a lot to me, meant a lot to me. I had seven years, 24–31, those are pretty intense years of young womanhood — and those were with them.” Her voice then appeared to crack as she added, “I missed them.”
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