Scottish Trainspotting actor Kevin McKidd to leave Grey's Anatomy after 18 years

The Elgin-born actor, who rose to fame with roles in Trainspotting and Rome, announced on social media that he is leaving his role playing Dr. Owen Hunt in the long-running ABC show as it was time to build something “from the ground up”.

Grey’s Anatomy focuses on the lives of surgical interns and their supervisors at Seattle’s Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

The series, which is currently running its 22nd season, also stars Patrick Dempsey, Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Chandra Wilson and the late Eric Dane who died in February, less than a year after publicly disclosing he had been diagnosed with the progressive neurodegenerative disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

In a post on Instagram, McKidd announced his departure.

He said: “18 seasons. 18 years. That’s a fair stretch of a man’s life.

“I came over just hoping to get a shot… and somehow found a home. A family. A place that’s shaped me more than I probably realise yet.

“Playing Owen Hunt has been one of the great privileges of my career, in front of the camera and behind it.”

McKidd thanked the cast and crew, series creator Shonda Rhimes, and the fans, saying that he is “really proud of what we’ve built”.

He continued: “Long before any of this, I was just a young actor from Scotland, grafting. Wondering if it was ever going to happen.

“So this is a goodbye… for now.

“It’s time to build something of my own from the ground up. To tell new stories, and take everything I’ve learned here into the next chapter.”

Acting and directing in show has ‘shaped me enormously’, McKidd says

In a separate statement posted to social media, McKidd wrote: “Grey’s Anatomy has been a huge chapter of my life, creatively and personally, and I’m deeply grateful for everything the show has given me over the years.

“Playing Dr. Owen Hunt and directing on the show have both shaped me enormously, and I’ve had the privilege of working with an extraordinary group of people throughout that time.

“I’m particularly thankful to Shonda Rhimes for creating Owen, and for the encouragement she gave me as I stepped into directing.

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“As that chapter comes to a close, I’m looking forward to what’s ahead — building new work, telling new stories, and taking everything I’ve learned into the next phase of my career.”

The news comes alongside the departure of McKidd’s co-star Kim Raver from the show.

Raver said her character, Dr Teddy Altman, will “always hold a dear and special place” in her heart after playing the medic for the past 16 years.