Dr. Maggie Pierce treated her last patient Thursday at Gray Sloan Memorial, after nine seasons as a core member of the “Grey’s Anatomy” cast.
For Kelly McCurry, the talented cardiothoracic surgeon and half-sister of Meredith Gray (Ellen Pompeo), the ABC medical drama’s two-hour farewell gave her a perfect time to honor Maggie’s journey and close a major chapter in her own life. Gave a vehicle and career.
“It means a lot to me,” McCurry told TheWrap about the episode. “When I talked to Christa [Vernoff, ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ showrunner and executive producer]When she agreed to let Maggie go, I said it would be great to be able to do scenes that felt like closure with all of the characters that meant something to Maggie. … My family, my family I’ve been doing this for so long.
“I felt really lucky. [Maggie] Very valuable and they treated her like that and I thought it was lovely.
Thursday’s two-hour special chronicles Maggie’s final case as chief of cardio at Gray Sloan before moving on to a new research opportunity in Chicago, and follows her and her husband, Dr. Winston Ndugu (Anthony Hill) made another impressive save in the opening act. room. After months of turmoil in their marriage, the couple had a night of passion after the affair and got closer to trying to make their relationship work.
But when Maggie tries to persuade Winston to move in with her, he accuses her of being too much like her biological mother, Alice Gray (Kate Burton), and euthanizes her during Part 2 of the farewell special, in which Amelia There were heart-touching scenes with (Katrina). Scorsone), Katherine (Debbie Allen) and Richard (James Pickens Jr.) pay tribute to Maggie’s long journey on the show.
As for Winston, the end of the episode sees him and Maggie coming to terms with the dissolution of their marriage. Maggie reflects that Alice lived with her husband for years while in love with someone else, fueling her bitterness and resentment. In order not to repeat those mistakes, and similar choices by his adoptive mother Diane (Latania Richardson Jackson), the best thing to do was to let Winston stay in Seattle and separate. The episode ended with a poignant moment as Maggie came face to face with visions of Alice and Diane, as a blessing from them for her brave choice to leave and pursue her ambitions.
Ahead of the premiere of his farewell episode, McCurry spoke to TheWrap about his decision to exit the medical drama, filming his farewells and the toughest goodbye on set. (As previously reported, the actress will return for a visit as Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith before the end of season 19.)
TheWrap: Congratulations on a great performance on Grey’s. You’ve been at the core of the series for nine seasons now. Why did you decide to say goodbye to Maggie Pierce now?
McCurry: It wasn’t the first time the question arose of whether this was the end of Maggie’s journey. I ask it at the end of every season, like “What to do, what’s left?” And of course, there’s a lot left over. The hospital and these characters are so rich in life that they can go on and reinvent themselves and keep challenging themselves.
But I thought, you know, the way Maggie and Winston approached the question of whether they were compatible with each other at the end of last season made me think, “Are they compatible, or is Maggie Don’t know at all what she wants and who is she? She was asking that question in the hospital, and it was hanging over her. Who is she and what does she want?
And I thought, you know, maybe it’s this crisis in their relationship that really made her realize that she wanted something different, somewhere else.
Maggie leaves for Chicago, and before she leaves she finds some much-needed closure with Winston and the other major characters in her life. What did you think of the way the show wrapped up Maggie’s journey?
I really thought it was a beautiful tribute to his family’s legacy. And I love the way she and Winston were able to understand each other so they don’t leave each other with the wreckage behind them.
And especially in these last few episodes, it was beautiful to see her spend time with Winston and even Katherine! And just going in with the knowledge and feeling stronger from all the ways that they put into it. And, you know, after giving some motivation to the new trainees; Somebody has taught them something… has given them the aspiration to do something.
Part 2 of Maggie’s Farewell finds her wrestling with the idea of her resemblance to Alice Gray as she says goodbye to Gray Sloan and her Seattle family; And we got to see Alice and Diane — Maggie’s mom — as she gets out of the hospital. What was it like filming that episode for you as a cast member, and what was the hardest part about saying goodbye to the movie for you?
It felt so important to shoot the episode. I was really aware of something like “this is my last time on this set, or this is my last scene with Debbie Allen, this is my last surgery,” it was all very touchy to me. And I really wanted every moment to count and I wanted to remember everything and II wanted the scenes to come alive on screen with how great they were on the page.
Undoubtedly the most difficult scene was the one with Katarina. Katerina is a dear, dear, dear person to me. I guess it didn’t really hit us until it was over. It hit us like a ton of bricks. Maybe it was a scene where I was a little less mindful, and then all of a sudden it was over. It was my last scene in the episode to shoot, and it was with her, and it was a lot.
TheWrap: Your work as Maggie has been a delight to watch on the show, and she’s definitely a polarizing character among fans. What will you take away from your time on the series?
“Greys” is such a special playground. It’s such a fun hybrid of styles. We do comedy, we do drama, sometimes suspense, sometimes action. And so, we really have to do a lot of different things. Sometimes we’re really motivated by the issues and sometimes it’s just being silly and fun. I feel very fortunate to have been able to spend the last nine years of my creative life in a place that continues to challenge me and dip my toe in a lot of different waters.
And that’s what I will continue to pursue with different characters. I want to dive a little deeper into those waters. And move around I have a theater background, and when you’re a theater actor, with the exception of these long-running Broadway shows, you’re playing your character for just a few weeks at a time and then you’re on to the next thing. On goes the next theater family and the next group of associates.
And so it’s in my DNA as an artist. So I’ll come back to that.
“Grey’s Anatomy” airs Thursdays at 9 PM ET/PT on ABC.
Watch ABC’s tribute to Maggie Pierce below: