Note: This story contains spoilers from “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 21, Episode 7.
Dr. Levi Schmitt said goodbye to “Grey’s Anatomy,” ending his 133-episode run with a true happy ending.
Actor Jake Borelli, who joined the cast of the ABC medical drama as a recurring player in Season 14 before becoming a series regular in Season 16, loved the “slow burn” approach the writers took in unfolding Levi’s farewell in Season 21. After pondering a position as a general surgeon attending at Grey Sloan Memorial, Levi decided to pursue his passion for pediatric surgery by accepting a research job in San Antonio to boost his resume for fellowships in that field — leaving his old coworkers behind.
Levi had also started a romantic relationship with hospital chaplain James (Michael Thomas Grant) earlier in the season. The pair discussed navigating a long-distance relationship at first. But Levi boldly asked his new boyfriend to move down to Texas with him in Episode 7, titled “If You Leave,” which James agreed to by the end of the eventful hour.
“Seeing him really come out on top and have his own sort of happy ending is something that, honestly, I think is really inspiring for me and for queer viewers,” Borelly told TheWrap. “It’s great that we get to see this well-rounded queer character grow and succeed… It’s so important, especially now.”
News of Borelli’s exit first leaked near the end of Season 20, leaving fans curious to know how Levi would be written out and when. Season 21 introduced James and his connection with Levi early on, and offered intimate glimpses at their growing connection in the midst of other hospital chaos — including lunch dates, playing hooky from work for intimate moments at Levi’s home and even some misunderstandings.
Borelli called Grant a “dream scene partner” in bringing the blossoming relationship to life. “Grey’s” followed as Levi went through a historic coming out journey — which also inspired Borelli himself to come out publicly as a gay man. Through the seasons, the show followed as Levi went into his first relationship with orthopedic fellow Nico Kim (Alex Landis) along with other more casual connections following their breakup.
Borelli celebrated seeing Levi cement an adult relationship while also growing more confident in his professional goals.
“We really got to cram a lot of history into those moments [between Levi and James] and have this relationship based on communication,” he said. “Even though they pass through some road bumps, they really through them by communicating with each other — something that Levi never had with Nico.”
But Levi’s happy ending didn’t come without some tears. Viewers watched as the beloved doctor said goodbye to his mentors,, Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) and Dr. Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.), as well as his best friend Taryn Helm (Jaicy Elliott) in last week’s episode — as well as Dr. Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington), which Borelli called one of the most important relationships for Levi on the show.
He said the cast and crew did the bulk of their crying about the goodbye during the table reads for both episodes, which made actual filming more bearable. Jo’s goodbye for Levi struck a particular chord, as she complemented Levi for maintaining his kind and gentle soul while living in a “hardened world.” They also sealed their long-term connection when she asked him to be the godfather to the twins she’s currently expecting with Link (Chris Carmack).
“It was important for Camilla and I to make that moment very specific to who these character are and how they’ve changed each other,” Borelli said. He recalled when Levi moved in with Jo in Season 16 as one of his favorite moments on the series, giving them a chance to “find light in an otherwise very sad show.”
Though Levi’s time at Grey Sloan may be at an end, Borelli said he’s not done with “Grey’s Anatomy” just yet. He said he’s stuck around behind the scenes and is currently shadowing executive producer Debbie Allen in hopes of directing an upcoming installment. And the door is not closed on him visiting the hospital as Levi in the future since he made it out alive. (“Thankfully I don’t have to rely on Meredith seeing me in the dream beach.”)
Beyond “Grey’s,” Borelli said he’s looking through scripts with ambitions to get more into producing and directing queer films. He credited the bravery to pursue new opportunities and living openly as a queer individual to his time playing Levi.
“I learned from Levi that when you’re open to your vulnerability and honest about who you are, the world opens up to you and you start to make better decisions in your life,” he said. “I learned that from him and he encouraged me to have a bigger queer life than I ever could have envisioned for myself. And life is so much better for it.”
“Grey’s Anatomy” airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.
