Kevin McKidd, Kim Raver on Leaving ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ in Season 22 Finale

Now, their on-again, off-again relationship has finally culminated in the two “walking away into the sunset,” as McKidd puts it. In the finale (directed by McKidd), after an ominous voicemail from Hunt makes it seem as though he died in a bridge collapse, Teddy realizes she doesn’t want to live without him; having saved a family from drowning, Hunt realizes the same thing. After a moving monologue from Altman, Hunt encourages her to accept the role she was offered in the previous episode as the head of a surgical innovation incubator in Paris, and tells her he and the kids will move with her. 

In their exit interviews, McKidd and Raver both spoke separately to Variety about their thoughts on Teddy and Owen’s romantic conclusion, their conversations with showrunner Meg Marinis and executive producing director Debbie Allen, how “Grey’s” has changed their lives — and whether either of them have future plans to check back into the hospital for one more shift. 

Can you tell me the story of how you heard the news that you’d be joining “Grey’s Anatomy”? Who did you hear it from? 

Kevin McKidd: I’d been on a show for NBC called “Journeyman,” which was a really great show that only lasted one season, sadly. So I was waiting around in L.A. going, “What am I going to do now? Am I going to stay? Am I going to go back to Britain?” Out of the blue, my agent said, “Hey, do you remember two years ago you went to meet Shonda Rhimes for ‘Private Practice’? They’re interested in you for this new character — some Army vet. There’s no sides and there’s no name, but she wants to meet you for a chat.” I went and met her, and we had a lovely chat and she said, “I’m going to go on vacation and think about it.” Apparently it was between me and one other actor, and we had to wait while she deliberated. I assumed it was not going to be me, and suddenly I got this phone call saying, “It’s you.” I was blown away, and still didn’t know what the character’s name was or what he was doing or who he’s going to be with. But I knew he was going to be a new scene partner for Sandra Oh. I’m a huge fan of Sandra Oh’s work, so the thought of getting to work with her was really exciting to me. About a month later, I was on set shooting my first scenes. 

I recall them saying it was between me and Joshua Jackson. Whether that’s true or not, I’ll never know. I’ve never asked Shonda whether that’s true. But that’s what I heard. 

Kim Raver: When “Grey’s” was first airing and they were hitting it at the Golden Globes and SAG Awards, I was doing “24” and our tables were next to each other — “24” was one table, and “Grey’s Anatomy” was another. I kept seeing them throughout the award season. I was so in awe of them. And I thought, “What an incredible show, and fabulous cast.” So when there were discussions of me joining the show, it was such a hit at the time, and I remember going into the table read — it was in this huge sound stage, and it was just the table in the middle of a pitch-black room with these spotlights on it. I was so nervous, and somehow I was the last person to get there. I heard a screech of a chair, and then this person came bounding up to me, and it was Sandra Oh. She gave me a huge hug and I just thought, “Wow, this is an incredible group, and this is going to be an incredible ride.” Her warmth and her welcome was just the beginning of this amazing journey. 

You both joined the cast of “Grey’s Anatomy” when every episode was an event. What was that like at the time?

McKidd: It was quite scary. I was like, “Oh man, are they going to be nice to me?” Luckily, I had done a film that summer with Patrick Dempsey, “Maid of Honor,” so we knew each other. That made it a little bit easier. When I turned up on set, he was shocked to see me — he hadn’t been told I was starting. He was like, “Kevin, what are you doing here? Why are you in scrubs?” And I was like, “Well, they want me to do this.” He introduced me to Eric Dane and everyone, so I felt grateful for that. That first day, I did a scene with Sandra Oh, and we clicked immediately. I’m from the theater and she’s very much a theater actress. I’m going to see her next month in the National Theater in London, actually. We’re still quite close. 

Raver: I just remember it was just keeping your head down and staying on the moving train. You’re constantly meeting this incredibly talented cast. I felt really lucky because Sandra Oh and I and Kevin all have this amazing working chemistry. But there was such excitement and buzz about the show that I just kept thinking, “Just keep moving forward. Just do the work.” There were such exciting storylines, and I love the idea that Shonda and the writers kept this incredible female relationship between Teddy and Cristina where it could have, in any other hands, gone into something else. But she turned it into this mentorship. I loved how Teddy and Cristina forged this friendship. That was such an incredible, ingenious move. 

Did they tell you that there was going to be a happy ending for Teddy and Owen? What did you think of that ending for them? 

McKidd: I always felt that Owen should die in a big heroic stand, like he saves some people and loses his life during it because of how he came into the show. But it felt right, ultimately, to go in a more positive direction. There’s been quite a lot of deaths on the show over the last few years, and I think Meg felt strongly that the audience didn’t have an appetite for another one. The world is quite a dark, scary place at the moment, so it’s nice to send out a message of hope and renewal and rebirth and people moving into the next chapter of their lives and recommitting to each other. 

Raver: Meg is so incredible, and has been so communicative over all of the twists and turns that Teddy and Owen have taken. I’m incredibly grateful. The scenes that we had to do over the last two seasons were always next to the set of Joe’s Bar, and we would literally go and sit on the set and discuss things. When the open marriage came up, we would go in there and talk. It was very funny that we would be sitting there, having these deep conversations about the characters. For Kevin and I, while Teddy and Owen were going through such a crazy roller coaster, we felt that the endgame would be them coming together. 

Another gift of Shonda Rhimes is that she allows these characters to be really messy and make big mistakes so that they can be accountable and learn and grow, because we’re all human and not perfect. Teddy really needed to be able to find out who she is and what she needs, and she was able to do that also through amazing female friendships with Bailey and Amelia, when she was trying to negotiate for salary and when she was pitching herself as Chief to Richard. She was able to learn how to self-advocate and to negotiate. All those journeys of her getting closer to understanding what her needs are, and who she is then allowed her, and us, to have her and Owen coming back together, but with them being strong individuals. 

Teddy and Owen have had their ups and downs throughout the series, and this season, they sign divorce papers before ultimately rekindling. Do you think they should be together?

McKidd: I do. I mean, I always felt it was Cristina and Owen, but the longevity and the staying power that Teddy and Owen have shown earned their place as endgame. These last couple of seasons they’ve been really struggling and trying out all these things, and things have failed and they’ve broken up. But them realizing that they can’t live without each other is beautiful. Even though I always thought it was going to be Cristina and Owen together, I think it feels right that it’s Teddy and Owen walking away into the sunset. 

Raver: Of course! Look, it’s been so many years of all of the ups and downs and devastating hurts and beautiful wins that they’ve had in their relationship. I guess I’m a romantic, but not at the expense of Teddy, and I feel like that was really important to me — that Teddy still upheld who she is and what she needs. Women in the past have been asked to give up everything for everyone, and I don’t think that Teddy did that. She was able to stand up for who she is and, this is going to sound corny, but have self-love before she could be in a big love. She needed to go through all of the big mistakes of the affair, and maybe the open marriage was a mistake. Maybe it wasn’t. She’s come so far as an individual and as a human and as a person. 

How do you feel Owen and Teddy have evolved throughout the series? 

McKidd: I mean, Owen was barely a functioning human when he started on the show. He had PTSD. He was traumatized. Cristina Yang says to him, “You have really big problems.” And he turns to her and he says, “Yeah, I do. Do you want to go out with me anyway?” Coming from that place of being this really dark and broken man to this — not perfect, nobody’s perfect — but he has managed to rebuild himself into a functioning father and a great professional and a functioning teacher in the hospital. He’s healed a lot, and that’s what the message of this finale episode is. The first big trauma for Owen was the loss of his platoon before Teddy comes to save him in the helicopter. With this metaphor of this family in this crushed car and this bridge in this finale episode, he gets the chance to redo that: save their lives and let them go on. 

Raver: Her evolution is that she really found her voice and a way to advocate for herself and what her needs are, both at work and in relationships. That comes from making the big mistakes, being accountable for them, and being willing to change. Not only did she become an even better doctor, but she also became a full human by going through all these experiences. 

Looking back, do you have a favorite storyline? 

McKidd: There’s so many. That season where Owen was helping with physician assisted suicide, I was quite shocked that we were telling that story. Him and Teddy ended up on the run. Ultimately, he was doing the right thing, but he was breaking the law. That is quite a provocative storyline, but that’s one of the things I’m proud of with the show and the character. He was able to deal with some pretty tough subject matter — it isn’t just cookie-cutter, vanilla storylines. And his initial season, when he was really traumatized and struggling to function, I thought we did some really beautiful work. 

Raver: I love so many of the stories. One of my favorites is the one that Shonda brought me in on, with the complicated relationship between Cristina and Teddy and Owen. It’s such a great example of this love triangle where everyone has such strong needs. I just love how complicated it was and how incredibly rich the relationship and mentorship was between Teddy and Cristina. 

What was it like to wrap shooting that final day? 

McKidd: I directed it — this is my 49th episode of the show. I’m really proud of it. It’s very empowering to direct your own exit from the show and it felt really positive and beautiful, and I’m grateful I got to. The last scene with Kim was really beautiful, and that was actually Kim’s last scene. And then I had to go to the exterior of the bridge because that took so long to build. So the last time we shot, we weren’t even at the stage, we were way out in Valencia on this location with this big, massive bridge collapse and those crushed cars. It was intense. That night, Danielle, my partner, and my kids came down and a lot of the cast came to visit even though it was miles outside of L.A., which meant a lot to me. But I was so busy directing and making sure we were on schedule that I didn’t really give myself a chance to feel anything.

At the end, we had speeches and I was given a gift and cake and everybody showed up. I had to get on a plane that night — I had to literally wrap, get out of my costume, quickly take a shower and go to LAX to go to Scotland to shoot this next movie that I’ve just wrapped, this “Highlander” remake. And then I suddenly found myself on a red eye to Scotland, back to my homeland essentially, and I was able to finally let it all wash over me. People gave me this box with all these gifts, letters, people who I’ve worked with for 20 years. So I got to read all those letters and really take it all in as I flew across the Atlantic to my homeland. And then the next day I was on a set playing a different character, which was kind of beautiful. 

Raver: It was a very beautiful moment. The crew that we have is so extraordinarily talented, and the cast and the writers and the support and the journey that we’ve all been on together has been a real gift.

You’ve both directed a number of episodes – would you return to direct in the future, or as a guest star? Is there any unfinished business?  

KM: Definitely. I mean, I can’t end on 49. I have to do my 50th. Debbie and Meg and everybody said, “Please, please come back and direct.” I’m really valued there as a director. So absolutely I’ll come back. It’s my home. This is 20 years spent in this place and with these people and for as long as that show exists, it will be my home in Los Angeles. I’ll be back to direct when I’m available too, because things are quite busy at my production company. And also if they ever ask for Owen to return — and that is a possibility, because he didn’t die — I’d be very happy. 

Raver: I definitely would love to come back to direct. I’m so grateful to Shonda and to Debbie Allen for giving me the space and the knowledge and the time to be able to steward episodes, and I love telling stories from the greater perspective of the director, and I love being able to support an enormously talented cast. The writing is just so good and the ability to collaborate on such a big scope is just one of my favorite things to do. 

How has playing Owen and Teddy changed your lives and careers?

McKidd: This show has changed my life entirely. I’m in the fortunate position that not many actors are in. I’ve managed to save some money and not have to rush out and take the first gig that was offered to me. But I’ve also become a director on the show. I’d never directed anything before. I’ve got my production company partly because of the show. I’m able to help smaller, independent projects get greenlit and actually become real. It’s changed my life in so many beautiful ways, and it’s given me this family of people that will always be my family and friends.

And the character, he’s a complicated, mercurial guy who can be kind of provocative, but I like that. I’m proud of the work I’ve done. TV and film should not be a popularity contest. It’s not about who you like the most. Sometimes it’s about what characters give us the biggest reactions. I’ve heard so many people say “I love your character but my best friend doesn’t like your character. We fight about it all the time.” And that’s what you want. “Your character’s fine. You’re all right.” That is not the reaction you want. You want big feelings when you’re playing a character.

Raver: That is a big question! The gift of being able to have a character, the same character, over so many years and to have the ability to play all of those different experiences, and the writers did such an incredible job of changing her each time. Each experience completely changed Teddy, and I was a big advocate of that. Anytime she went through something, she was coming out of it with a different experience. For me, how it’s changed me is I feel incredibly close and grateful to the crew for spending so many hours making this show and the fans, their dedication and support is also what’s kept this show going for so many years. The fact that I just got to go into a job that I love and a character that I love and work with people I love every single day for so many years is really lightning in a bottle, and I was aware and grateful of it every day. 

What do you want to do next?

McKidd: There’s so many things I want to do. Some theater — I haven’t done theater in a long time. I have about 15 projects on the slate. And my production company, we just signed this deal with STV. So we’ve got a few that are in development, and quite close to getting green lights. I’ll be directing and producing and acting in some of those. I just want to keep acting and improving my craft. I want to direct other stuff, my own stuff. I’m really excited about how busy things are getting. It’s funny, because my agent was like, “You know, for 18 years, we get calls all the time from people going, ‘Hey, is Kevin available for this?’ And it’s like, ‘No, he’s doing ‘Grey’s.’ She’s quite excited that it’s shifting. I just finished “Highlander,” which was a blast, getting back to doing some period drama — swinging swords and riding horses. And then “The Only Suspect” is this really taut, twisty-turny psychological thriller that is brilliantly written and adapted from a novel, and the cast is great. The director is fantastic. It starts filming next week. 

Raver: I really want to continue directing. It’s something that I feel really passionate about. I have the rights to a book with this incredible female lead, so getting that off the ground and directing and producing that. And continuing to work with amazing people that I’ve had the fortunate ability to work with. 

This interview has been edited and condensed.