The 'Grey's Anatomy' cast when they first and last appeared on the show

Martha SorrenSep 16, 2020, 01:08 IST

Meredith Grey is played by Ellen Pompeo.ABC

Only a handful of the characters set to appear in the next season of "Grey's Anatomy" have been there since the beginning.
Meredith Grey (played by Ellen Pompeo) has experienced a lot of changes in her career since she first walked into Seattle Grace Hospital.
Alex Karev (played by Justin Chambers) and Cristina Yang (played by Sandra Oh) are no longer on the show.
Warning: Major "Grey's Anatomy" spoilers ahead.

There have been 16 seasons of ABC's medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," but most characters from episode one are gone.

There have been tragic character deaths, devastating departures, exciting spin-offs, and more that's pulled people away from the series over the years.

In fact, the show's original intern class has only one character left on the show, and only three of the pilot characters are on track to appear on season 17.

Read on to see how the cast has changed from their first season to their most recent.

Warning: Spoilers for all 16 seasons of "Grey's Anatomy" ahead.

Meredith Grey went from an inexperienced intern to the head of general surgery with many bumps along the way.

Meredith Grey is played by Ellen Pompeo. ABC

Cristina Yang left Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital to work in Switzerland.

Cristina Yang is played by Sandra Oh. ABC

Izzie Stevens left Seattle and Alex Karev, behind after being fired from the hospital.

Izzie Stevens is played by Katherine Heigl. ABC

Alex Karev started as a cocky intern and grew a lot before leaving Seattle during season 16.

Alex Karev is played by Justin Chambers. ABC

George O'Malley died a tragic death.

George O'Malley is played by TR Knight. ABC

Miranda Bailey went from surgical resident to chief of surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

Miranda Bailey is played by Chandra Wilson. ABC

Richard Webber has gone from being chief of surgery to being fired from the hospital to being a patient.

Richard Webber is played by James Pickens Jr. ABC

Preston Burke made a guest appearance years after his original departure.

Preston Burke is played by Isaiah Washington. ABC

Derek Shepherd died after a tragic car accident.

Derek Shepherd is played by Patrick Dempsey. ABC

Addison Montgomery (formerly Montgomery-Shepherd) left for her own spin-off called "Private Practice."

Addison Montgomery is played by Kate Walsh. ABC

Mark Sloan was one of the victims of the devastating plane crash.

Mark Sloan is played by Eric Dane. ABC

Callie Torres moved on to New York.

Callie Torres is played by Sara Ramirez. ABC

Ellis Grey made a guest appearance during the show's 500th episode.

Ellis Grey is played by Kate Burton. ABC

Adele Webber died with her husband, Richard, by her side.

Adele Webber is played by Loretta Devine. ABC

Although he died, Denny Duquette appeared to other characters in their dreams or visions.

Denny Duquette is played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan. ABC

Erica Hahn left abruptly after a messy split with Callie.

Erica Hahn is played by Brooke Smith. ABC

Lexie Grey suffered a terrible death in the plane crash.

Lexie Grey is played by Chyler Leigh. ABC

Owen Hunt thought he finally had the family he's always wanted.

Owen Hunt is played by Kevin McKidd. ABC

Arizona Robbins left Seattle behind to be with her daughter in New York.

Arizona Robbins is played by Jessica Capshaw. ABC

Teddy Altman has found herself in a tricky situation.

Teddy Altman is played by Kim Raver. ABC

April Kepner found herself caught up in a difficult love triangle before leaving Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital to help the underprivileged in need of medical care.

April Kepner is played by Sarah Drew. ABC

Stephanie Edwards left medicine behind to explore the world after suffering severe burns during a fire at the hospital.

Stephanie Edwards is played by Jerrika Hinton. ABC

Still a series regular, Jackson Avery has gone through a number of breakups.

Jackson Avery is played by Jesse Williams. ABC

Ben Warren was an attending anesthesiologist before becoming a surgeon, then a firefighter.

Ben Warren is played by Jason Winston George. ABC

Amelia Shepherd's difficult past has come back to haunt her throughout her time in Seattle.

Amelia Shepherd is played by Caterina Scorsone. ABC

Jo Karev (née Wilson) is now single and focused on her career.

Jo Wilson is played by Camilla Luddington. ABC

As a boss of the hospital and a friend of the staff members, Catherine Fox (formerly Avery) is constantly being placed in the middle of sticky situations.

Catherine Avery is played by Debbie Allen. ABC

Maggie Pierce has found herself in a number of tricky relationships since arriving at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

Maggie Pierce is played by Kelly McCreary. ABC

Andrew DeLuca has gone from being a bumbling intern to a skilled surgeon who's struggling with his mental health.

Andrew DeLuca is played by Giacomo Gianniotti. ABC

Nathan Riggs got off to a shaky start when he arrived in Seattle.

Nathan Riggs is played by Martin Henderson. ABC

Tom Koracick is moving up at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

Tom Koracick is played by Greg Germann. ABC

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