Seven years after his controversial exit, Isaiah Washington is heading back to Grey’s Anatomy.
Oh, but it will be a short visit to Seattle Grace. The actor, who played Dr Preston Burke on the medical drama, will reprise his role in one episode set to air in May, an ABC spokesperson confirmed. The specific date of the episode was not revealed.
It’s sure to be an interesting return. Washington was fired from the Shonda Rhimes series in the wake of growing tension on the set — headlines circulated that he directed gay slurs at then-closeted co-star TR Knight and was involved in on-set disputes with his co-stars.
The reunion comes as one of its original cast members, Sandra Oh, is set to bid farewell to the series at the end of its current 10th season. Viewers will recall that Oh’s Dr Cristina Yang was involved with Burke (Washington) and had at one time been engaged.
“It’s important to me that Cristina’s journey unfolds exactly as it should,” Rhimes said in a statement. “Burke is vital to that journey — he gives her story that full-circle moment we need to properly say goodbye to our beloved Cristina Yang.”
Later this month, Washington will find out if audiences have missed him enough to catch his new series, The 100 — his first regular role since Grey’s.
*In the UAE, Grey’s Anatomy airs on OSN First HD every Tuesday at 9pm.
