According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ellen Pompeo (Catch Me If You Can) will be returning to Grey’s Anatomy for season 20. Pompeo is said to be in at least four episodes. Pompeo played the beloved Dr. Meredith Grey in the ABC production.
The Hollywood Reporter also stated that Pompeo was not expected to be active in the upcoming season. Pompeo was originally a series regular, but became just a recurring character after signing a deal to produce and star in a Hulu limited series. The limited series is still untitled and is in pre-production at the moment.
In season 19, Pompeo appeared in less than 10 of the 20 episodes that were in the season, said The Hollywood Reporter. In fact, she was written out of the finale due to her character moving to Boston. This was a big shock, seeing as the actress has starred in the show since 2005. However, Pompeo is said to still perform her iconic voiceover. On top of that, Pompeo making an appearance in the season 20 trailer sparked headlines as there is now suspicion that she will have a big storyline in the upcoming season.
Along with Pompeo making a grand reappearance as Merideth Grey, another familiar face will be joining the cast for one episode in the next season. This actress will be Jessica Capshaw (Holidate), who played the role of Arizona, said The Hollywood Reporter.
Season 20, like season 19, will have twenty episodes upon its premiere. The production for the season was delayed by the writers and actors strikes last year, which impacted the broadcast schedule. This season will also be the first season where Meg Marinis (Grey’s Anatomy: Under Pressure) acts as showrunner, The Hollywood Reporter claimed. The previous showrunner, Krista Vernoff (The Uglies), left after the 19th season. Marinis has been a part of the show since the third season, having worked her way up to showrunner from writer’s production assistant. She has written over 25 episodes of the series.