Grey’s Anatomy is saying goodbye to Owen Hunt and Teddy Altman.
Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver, who have played the two characters for 18 and 16 seasons respectively, are departing the show when Season 22 wraps.
Their final episode is the Season 22 finale, which airs May 7 on ABC. McKidd is also directing it, which means the man who brought Owen Hunt to life will be the one behind the camera when he walks out the door.
Shonda Rhimes, who created the show and has largely stepped back from its day-to-day over the years, issued a statement that gives fans something to hold onto,
“Over the years, we have had the privilege of watching Owen and Teddy’s love story evolve and deepen, two characters who always seem to find their way back to each other. It is both bittersweet and joyful to give this couple the happy ending their story deserves.”
A happy ending. After everything Owen and Teddy have put each other, and the audience, through, that is not nothing.
Who Has Departed And How Long Were They On The Show?
McKidd joined Grey’s Anatomy in Season 5 in 2008 as Dr. Owen Hunt, a trauma surgeon and Army veteran who arrived at Seattle Grace with PTSD and a complicated past.
He became a series regular immediately and grew into one of the show’s most central figures, a love interest for Cristina Yang, then a husband to Amelia Shepherd, and eventually the endgame for Teddy Altman after years of will-they-won’t-they that tested even the most patient fans.
Beyond his acting, McKidd made his directorial debut on the show in Season 7 and has since directed 48 episodes.
He directed the Season 22 finale too, making him the person who put Owen and Teddy’s final chapter on screen.
Raver came in the following season, debuting as Dr. Teddy Altman, a cardiothoracic surgeon and Army veteran, in Season 6 in 2009 as a recurring character before being promoted to series regular that same season.
She left after Season 8, returned briefly in Season 14, and came back as a series regular from Season 15 in 2018, staying ever since.
Sixteen years total. She has also directed three episodes over the course of her time on the show.
Their characters’ history together is long, tangled, and deeply familiar to longtime viewers. They met in Baghdad during the Iraq War, before either of them showed up at Grey Sloan.
Owen married Cristina Yang, then married Amelia Shepherd. Teddy married Henry Burton, grieved his death, had a complicated relationship with Tom Koracick, and eventually had two children with Owen.
They finally married in Season 18 after years of near-misses and bad timing. In Season 22 they had divorced again after an open marriage collapsed, but had recently grown closer, setting up, per Rhimes’ statement, that happy ending.
What Did They Actors Say About Leaving?
McKidd said about departing the show,
“Grey’s Anatomy has been a huge chapter of my life, creatively and personally, and I’m deeply grateful for everything the show has given me over the years. Playing Dr. Owen Hunt and directing on the show have both shaped me enormously, and I’ve had the privilege of working with an extraordinary group of people throughout that time. I’m particularly thankful to Shonda Rhimes for creating Owen, and for the encouragement she gave me as I stepped into directing. As that chapter comes to a close, I’m looking forward to what’s ahead — building new work, telling new stories, and taking everything I’ve learned into the next phase of my career.”
Raver said,
“Playing Dr. Teddy Altman will always hold a dear and special place in my heart. Sixteen years ago, I had the incredible privilege of stepping into this role thanks to the vision of Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers. Since that day, it has been a true gift to bring the iconic words of Shonda and our brilliant team of writers to life.”
Showrunner Meg Marinis, who has been running the show day-to-day, was careful to leave the door open,
“While their story is coming to a close, this is never truly a goodbye. We are endlessly grateful for the years, the artistry and the memories they’ve given to the show and we look forward to cheering them on in whatever comes next.”
The show has a history of bringing departed cast members back for guest appearances, and Raver herself already did it once when she returned in Season 14 after leaving in Season 8.
Where This Leaves The Show
The exits land at a moment when Grey’s Anatomy is visibly at a crossroads. After 22 seasons, only three original cast members remain in any capacity: Ellen Pompeo, who narrates every episode and appears in roughly seven per season as Meredith Grey while serving as an executive producer.
Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey; and James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber, the latter of whom is currently carrying a prostate cancer storyline that mirrors Pickens Jr.’s own real-life diagnosis, which he disclosed publicly in November 2025.
With McKidd and Raver gone after Season 22, the show will have lost two more of its longest-tenured series regulars.
The cast is now built largely around the newer intern class, Alexis Floyd, Harry Shum Jr., Adelaide Kane, Niko Terho, and Trevor Jackson among them, alongside mid-tenure stars like Camilla Luddington, Chris Carmack, Caterina Scorsone, and Anthony Hill.
Season 23 has not been officially confirmed. Renewal is widely expected, the streaming numbers are strong despite softened linear ratings, and the show recently crossed 450 episodes, making cancellation politically awkward for ABC.
But Deadline reported in February that any pickup would likely come with budget cuts that could affect both the episode count and the cast.
The departure of McKidd and Raver would reduce the payroll at the higher end, which is presumably part of the calculation.
Three episodes remain in Season 22 before the finale, airing March 26, April 2, and April 30, before the May 7 finale. Production on the season has already wrapped. However Owen and Teddy exit, McKidd ensured he got to put it on screen himself.
