'Grey's Anatomy' star Jason George joins firefighter spinoff (Exclusive)
Jason George is going to be pulling double duty for Shondaland.
The actor is set to join ABC's upcoming firefighter-focused Grey's Anatomy spinoff as a series regular. He joins an ensemble cast that includes the previously announced Jaina Lee Ortiz as the offshoot's leading lady.
Details about George's transition to the spinoff are being kept under wraps. Just how George will move to the spinoff will be a key part of his storyline on the upcoming 14th season of Grey's Anatomy. George will continue to be a series regular on Grey's Anatomy season 14 until production of the spinoff begins, at which point he will focus his attention there. (The casting does not mean he will not continue to pop in and out of the flagship series.)
The spinoff, picked up straight to series in May, centers on a group of heroic Seattle firefighters from the captain down the ranks in their personal and professional lives. The first episode will air as a planted episode of Grey's, which is set to return Sept. 28 on ABC.
George joined Grey's Anatomy as a recurring player in season six, playing Dr. Ben Warren — the eventual husband to original series star Chandra Wilson's Miranda Bailey. He was promoted to series regular in season 12.
George's move to the spinoff comes after Ben went full firefighter mode in May's season 13 finale of Grey's Anatomy in his attempts to save Stephanie (Jerrika Hinton). Stephanie would go on to leave the hospital as Hinton exited the series.
Read more: 'Grey's Anatomy': How the Firefighter Spinoff Came Together
At the time the spinoff was announced, ABC originally envisioned it with an entirely new cast — though George remained a likely candidate given Ben's actions in the season 13 finale. Talks for a second spinoff of Grey's (after Private Practice) had been going on well before season 13. "It was up to Shonda to tell us when she had inspiration for something that made sense, which was pretty recent," ABC Studios president Patrick Moran told THR of how the spinoff came together. "We talked about the elements of Grey's Anatomy that seem to resonate with the audience — emotional storytelling, deep human connection, a high-stakes environment and strong and empowered women — and those elements will carry over to the spinoff."
Rhimes and her Shondaland partner Betsy Beers will exec produce alongside Grey's Anatomy exec producer/co-showrunner Stacy McKee, the latter of whom who will transition to the spinoff full-time. To shore up the flagship's staff, Krista Vernoff recently rejoined Grey's as an exec producer after serving in the same role for its first eight seasons. Paris Barclay is on board as the producing director and exec producer.
The spinoff marks George's third Shondaland drama after Grey's and ABC's short-lived Hawaii-set medical drama Off the Map. The actor's credits also include ABC's Mistresses and Off the Map. He's repped by APA.
