Sara Ramirez's sudden announcement about their departure came after 10 seasons on the popular show.
The news took many by surprise, but possibly none more so than show creator, Shonda Rhimes, who later said she had only found out from Ramirez three days before the official announcement.
The character Ramirez played, Dr Callie Torres, hadn’t immediately been popular with viewers. The fact that fans came to love her as the storyline progressed, is testament to the acting skills of Ramirez, a fact appreciated by the show's creator.
In fact, some fans took their departure personally, because they had come to feel so close to Callie.
Rhimes And Ramirez Enjoyed A Good Working Relationship
Rhimes had enjoyed seeing the character growing under the care of Ramirez.
The two also worked together on a total shift for the character, when Callie came out as bisexual on the show in 2009.
Talking to Variety, Ramirez spoke about how they approached Rhimes with the idea of pursuing the new storyline, in which Callie would discover that she was attracted to women as well as men.
In a recent interview, Ramírez told Variety that Rhimes was very supportive of the idea, and happy to get on board.
The Change Was Criticized By Some
The new direction wasn’t immediately popular with all viewers. But once again, Ramirez did their job brilliantly, ensuring that the character’s fan base grew steadily, and viewers embraced the ensuing relationship between Dr Callie Torres and Pediatric Surgeon Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw.)
By the time Ramirez left the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital in 2016, fans were devastated to see them go. Carrie and Arizona, or Calzona, (as the couple had been dubbed) had become one of the most popular couples on the show.
Rhimes Had To Make It All Work
Although the departure of Ramirez left Rhimes with a lot of work tying up any loose ends to create a logical ending for the character, the two parted on good terms. After all, it wasn't the first time Rhimes had to write a Greys Anatomy star out of the show.
A press release from Rhimes read as follows: “Dr. Callie Torres came into our lives dancing it out in her underwear almost a decade ago, and I could not be happier or more proud of her journey. Sara Ramirez’s performance inspired me as well as millions of fans each week. We wish her the best on her well-deserved time off. I will miss Callie tremendously, but I am excited for what the future holds for Sara. She will always have a home at Shondaland.”
Fans Have Been Hoping Ramirez Would Return Since Then
Those words have kept fans hoping that they’ll see Ramirez return to the series.And given the fact that Grey's Anatomy Season 17 and 18 have both featured a host of fan favorites returning to the series, Ramirez supporters, who have been patiently waiting, are hoping that it’ll soon be Calzona’s turn to do so.
Fans have long been calling for the return of both Arizona and Callie to the hit series. Now, it seems as though there’s a chance of seeing their dreams realized.
In the Season 12 finale, Callie Torres left Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital after a challenging custody battle with Arizona and moved to the Big Apple.
Their daughter, Sofia, (Eva Ariel Binder) initially stayed in Seattle with Arizona, eventually heading to New York to be nearer to Callie in Season 14.
Jessica Capshaw left the series in 2018. Sofia has continued as part of the cast.
It’s a post by Binder that has sparked the latest excitement, with fans hoping that season 19 could see a return for Callie Torres and Arizona Robbins at last.
Sofia recently teased ‘big news’ for ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ fans. After the announcement that ABC had renewed Grey’s Anatomy for Season 19, Binder shared a congratulatory post on Instagram.
"Just a big Congrats from your Sofia to Grey’s Anatomy on a SEASON 19!” Binder wrote in the caption. “Super excited! Also, to my amazing Grey’s fans I have some big news coming! Hope you will like it!! "
The idea is certainly something that would interest Ramirez, who have said they would “absolutely” return to the series if asked to do so.
They currently appear on the Sex and the City reboot, And Just Like That… , playing the role of Che Diaz.
When they left the series 7 years ago, Ramirez posted this message; “I’m deeply grateful to have spent the last 10 years with my family at Grey’s Anatomy and ABC, but for now, I’m taking some welcome time off. Shonda’s been so incredible to work for, and we will definitely continue our conversations! I send my love to Ellen [Pompeo], the rest of the cast and crew, and I look forward to always being a part of the Shondaland family!”
Fans are waiting with bated breath to see if they’ll finally get their wish granted, and if at least one of their favorite parts of the family will be back.
