Sarah Drew reflects on her emotional exit from 'Grey's Anatomy'

Sarah Drew, the talented actress behind Dr April Kepner, is revisiting her emotional departure from Grey's Anatomy after nine incredible seasons.

In 2018, Drew and co-star Jessica Capshaw (Dr Arizona Robbins) were unexpectedly let go from the show after season 14. The experience left Drew feeling shaken.

"We were unceremoniously let go in a way that felt mean and unjust, and, because of that, the outpouring of love was so enormous it was like you were sitting there watching people [eulogize you]," Drew shared on the Call It What It Is podcast.

However, her exit was soon followed by an Emmy nomination for Grey's Anatomy's short-form series B-Team, which Drew directed. This recognition brought her immense validation.

"Attending [my] own funeral" is how Drew previously described celebrating the Emmy nomination to Vulture.

Despite initial doubts, Drew realised the nomination was a "profound affirmation" of her talents. "The nomination after the fact made me go, 'I don’t need to be worried about anything or have my confidence shaken,'" she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018.

Drew's return to Grey's Anatomy in seasons 17 and 18 was surprisingly liberating. "I have no attachment to [the show] at all," she explained on the podcast. "I had zero anxiety [going back because] I don’t need anything from anyone on that set anymore."

During the podcast, Drew also revealed an interesting behind-the-scenes secret: her character was initially supposed to have a one-night stand with Eric Dane's Mark Sloan in season seven.

"April was supposed to have some random one-off with Sloan and it was in the original production draft [of the script], and then they changed their mind," she recalled.