Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo are keeping their scrubs for an additional two years on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy.”
The actors have inked new two-year deals with the ABC and Shondaland medical drama through its potential Seasons 11 and 12, a network representative told TheWrap.
The deals arrive ahead of the network’s actual renewal of the drama beyond the current 10th season, but assures that two of its original stars — Pompeo playing the titular Grey — will be around for at least another two seasons if the network opts for them.
With the new agreements, the stars will outlast fellow original cast member Sandra Oh, who’s departing the series after the current season.
Dempsey’s return may come as a surprise for fans after statements he made that sounded like he was looking for new opportunities.
In July, for instance, when Dempsey was promoting his upcoming TLC series, “Patrick Dempsey: Racing Le Mans,” he admitted that, while he’s “not necessarily bored with” the long-running ABC drama, after nine seasons, acting is a “job” — and “not a lot of homework” goes into his portrayal of Dr. Derek Shepherd.
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Of course, you never know when an actor is simply trying to scare his employers as contract negotiations approach.
“Grey’s” still does very well for ABC. Its midseason finale in December scored a 2.7 rating/8 share with the advertiser-coveted Adults 18-49 demographic and 8.4 million total viewers. It is also one of ABC’s biggest shows for On Demand and online viewing.
TVLine first reported the deals.