In a recent episode, Grey’s Anatomy viewers watched as Levi Schmitt officially exited the show.
Actor Jake Borelli played Schmitt for the seven years he was part of the hit medical drama.
Borelli’s Schmitt is notable as an openly gay male character on Grey’s Anatomy and has been part of a significant LGBTQ storyline.
In Season 21, Episode 7, Schmitt left for a pediatric research job in Texas after his ABSITE scores weren’t good enough for a fellowship at Grey’s Sloan Memorial Hospital.
Schmitt also bid farewell to his friends in Seattle and asked his romantic interest, Grey Sloan’s chaplain James (Michael Thomas Grant), to move with him to Texas.
He recently opened up about his character’s departure from the show.
Borelli was ‘heartbroken’ over his character’s exit from Grey’s
Borelli’s Schmitt was a recurring sub-intern in Season 14 and ultimately became a main character in Season 16, often providing comedic moments due to social awkwardness and clumsiness.
The character grew through stories exploring his sexuality and gaining confidence while dealing with his overbearing mother. Many critics and fans particularly praised his romance story with the series’ first openly gay character, Dr. Nico Kim (Alex Landi).
Season 21 was Schmitt’s final season. He had recently worked as a senior resident with a new group of interns at Grey Sloan Memorial. Borelli said he was “heartbroken” about his character’s departure.
“Honestly, it was pretty devastating, especially because I love him so much, and I see what this sort of representation on TV, especially on a show as big as Grey’s, has done to people all around the world,” Borelli told The Hollywood Reporter.
The actor said his character’s impact on others’ lives has especially stood out during his seven years on the show.
“I’m constantly hearing stories from queer people all around the world who either finally feel seen by this show, or even parents of queer kids saying that they now finally have the language to talk to their kids about their queerness,” he shared.
While the exit may have been “devastating,” Borelli said that he felt he and showrunner Meg Marinis’s concept for Schmitt’s departure was “incredible” because he had a “happy ending” and left with “confidence” on his new journey.
Why did Borelli leave Grey’s Anatomy?
While Borelli was “heartbroken” about his character’s departure, he and the showrunners don’t appear to be on bad terms. In May, Deadline reported that it was due to budget cuts for the show amid declining linear ratings.
Grey’s reportedly became expensive to produce as a popular show with 21 seasons and many series regular actors to pay. The Deadline report mentioned that part of the budget cuts would include renegotiations for series regulars’ episodic guarantees.
Episodic guarantees refer to how many episodic fees per season each series regular gets under their contract. The report indicated that pay-per-episode for actors wouldn’t go down, but they’d get paid less as the number of episodes they might appear in would go down.
According to Deadline’s report, other shows, including the One Chicago and Law & Order franchise, reduced their series regulars similarly.
Unfortunately, these necessary budget cuts meant Schmitt would no longer appear as a regular. He mentioned he didn’t feel like he’d left the show as he was still attending table reads and shadowing directors on set.
There may also be good news for viewers who enjoyed seeing Borelli on the show. The door is left open for future appearances by Schmitt in Grey’s Anatomy episodes.
“I have talked to Meg and Debbie [Allen], and there certainly is want for Levi to come back in and want for Levi to be a part of some experiences that the characters are going to have in the future,” he told THR.
Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 10/9c on ABC.