After nearly two decades at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, Kevin McKidd is finally hanging up his scrubs. The actor, who played Dr. Owen Hunt since Season 5, made his emotional exit in Thursday's Season 22 finale of Grey's Anatomy. Alongside on-screen soulmate Kim Raver (Teddy Altman), McKidd's character rode off into the sunset—or rather, to Paris—for Teddy's dream job. It was a tear-jerking send-off that left fans reaching for tissues, and McKidd himself admits the goodbye hit hard.
In an exclusive interview with Collider's Set Stories series, McKidd opened up about what it meant to leave the hit medical drama after 18 years. He described the experience as surreal, especially considering he originally signed on for just a recurring role. 'The concept of doing five years on anything just was bizarre,' he said. 'Like, how am I going to survive that? And so yeah, the answer to your question, like, 18 years, I never thought anything in my career would last for that long. It's like an anomaly. It's like a miracle.'
McKidd's journey on Grey's Anatomy was far from typical. He joined a cast that included Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Patrick Dempsey, Katherine Heigl, and Sara Ramirez—many of whom have since moved on. Over the years, the show's roster evolved to include Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr., Camilla Luddington, Caterina Scorsone, and Chris Carmack. Through all the changes, McKidd found a second family. As a native of Scotland, the bonds he formed on set became especially meaningful. 'It's been quite an emotional journey for me for the last few months,' he shared. 'You know, it very much is my family now. I'm from the U.K. and I have my kids and my family here in LA, but the greatest family became very much my adopted family in America because all my family are in Scotland. So, like Linda Klein, who's one of the executive producers, is a godmother to my kids. It literally is a family affair. It's been hard.'
McKidd's character, Owen Hunt, was a complex figure—a former Army medic grappling with PTSD who became Head of Trauma at Grey Sloan. He was both beloved and divisive among fans, but his impact on the series is undeniable. The show remains a streaming juggernaut, ranking as the most-streamed series globally on Disney+ and Hulu in Season 22, according to Disney. McKidd's departure marks the end of an era, but he took comfort in knowing he got to direct his own farewell episode, much like Sandra Oh did when she left as Cristina Yang in Season 10.
'I remember when Sandra left in Season 10, she had the same thing, it was ten years of her life, and she really took that time to mourn the loss of it and really release it and let it go and all that stuff and say the things to the people you want to say things to,' McKidd recalled. 'We've all been through so much in that crew in the past that you can't help but be emotional. It's definitely been emotional, but in a good way. It feels like I got the time to end that chapter in my life, this big chapter of my career and my life, and what has happened in my personal life during these 18 years, not just being on camera. So it feels good. It feels right, like, the right time for me to step into this clean chapter of my career.'
McKidd's exit is a reminder of how rare long runs are in television. As he noted, his next longest series before Grey's was just two seasons on HBO's Rome. For fans who have followed Owen Hunt's journey from a troubled soldier to a devoted trauma surgeon and romantic partner, his departure is bittersweet. But McKidd is looking ahead, ready to embrace new opportunities. For a deeper dive into what makes a TV drama truly timeless, check out our list of the most perfect TV drama shows of the last 25 years.
As for what's next for McKidd, he hasn't revealed specifics, but he's clearly excited about the future. 'It feels good. It feels right,' he said. And for fans who want to revisit some of the best moments from his tenure, Grey's Anatomy remains available to stream. In the meantime, we'll be rewatching Owen and Teddy's Paris-bound finale—tissues at the ready.
