Grey’s Anatomy Season 22 Welcomes Back Original Star 4 Years Later
Four years after leaving Grey’s Anatomy as a series regular, Jesse Williams will be back as Dr. Jackson Avery in the next episode of the hit ABC medical drama series. A promo for the episode has been released, teasing his return as well as a tense exchange with Ellen Pompeo’s Dr. Meredith Grey.
Williams was introduced in Grey’s Anatomy back in the Season 6 episode “Invasion” as Dr. Avery, a surgical resident formerly from Mercy West Medical Center, following its merger with Seattle Grace Hospital. He was promoted to series regular the following season, a role he held until Season 17, when Jackson left Seattle to run the Catherine Fox Foundation in Boston. Williams has returned three times since his departure back in 2021, with his upcoming appearance in “Goodbye Horses” set to mark his fourth. Check out the promo for Grey’s Anatomy Season 22, Episode 4, “Goodbye Horses,” below.
Williams’ Dr. Jackson Avery isn’t the only former series regular to return to Grey’s Anatomy this season. Kelly McCreary, who was a main cast member from Seasons 11 to 19, made a surprise appearance in the second episode of Season 22, “We Built This City,” where she announced that she was pregnant. Grey’s Anatomy has welcomed back several departed fan favorites over the years, most notably in Season 17, when Patrick Dempsey, T. R. Knight, Chyler Leigh, and Eric Dane returned as Dr. Derek Shepherd, Dr. George O’Malley, Dr. Lexie Grey, and Dr. Mark Sloan, respectively, for a storyline revolving around Meredith Grey battling COVID-19 while imagining herself on a beach, which allowed for the deceased characters to return.
Grey’s Anatomy’s Cast Has Changed Quite a Bit Since Season 1
As of Season 22, only three cast members have appeared in every season of Grey’s Anatomy: Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, and James Pickens Jr. However, since Season 19, Pompeo has stepped back from the ABC medical drama, appearing less frequently as Dr. Meredith Grey despite retaining main cast member billing. As a result, the show has shifted to more of an ensemble, placing more focus on the other doctors at the fictional hospital Grey+Sloan Memorial.
For Grey’s Anatomy Season 22, Pompeo is expected to appear in just seven of the 18 episodes, although showrunner Meg Marinis stated in September 2025 that she would jump at the chance to have the actor appear in more episodes, stating, “The more we get Ellen, the happier I am. So if we can get her more, I’d love it.”
Pompeo isn’t the only main cast member who will appear in fewer episodes this season, as the Season 22 renewal back in April 2025 revealed that most of the veteran cast members would see a reduction of their episodic guarantees. The only actors who are expected to appear in all 18 episodes are Wilson and Pickens as Dr. Miranda Bailey and Dr. Richard Webber, respectively.