Michael Thomas Long has joined Grey’s Anatomy (Getty Images)
Long-running medical drama Grey’s Anatomy has cast the actor who will play the show’s gay hospital chaplain.
The show first aired in 2005, and the list of characters entering Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital has just got a little gayer, with Michael Thomas Grant set to play Episcopal chaplain James, according to TVLine.
According to ABC’s character description, Grant “joins Grey Sloan as [its] openly gay chaplain. He holds a special place in his heart for younger patients, and his warmth, training and spirituality make him comfortable and confident in any situation.
“In his personal life, James finds himself at a crossroads where he is open to love and taking great leaps of faith.”
Grant played Leif in NBC’s Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist until the show was cancelled in 2021.
The introduction of a new gay character was first reported in July, and the addition comes at a time when the hospital’s queer staff was starting to disappear.
Jake Borelli has played gay Dr Levi Schmitt since 2017, but the chief resident is set to leave Grey Sloan Memorial (and the show) in the upcoming 21st season. In 2018, the character became one half of the medical drama’s first gay couple, with Dr Nico Kim (Alex Landi) the other.
Season 21 will feature Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) in a more prominent role after she went “part-time” in season 19. She has fronted the series since the first episode.
Season 21 of Grey’s Anatomy premieres on 26 September in the US and will be available to stream on Disney+ in the UK.
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