‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Casts Michael Thomas Grant as New Gay Chaplain for Season 21

Grey’s Anatomy has added Michael Thomas Grant to the season 21 cast.

TVLine reported on Thursday, August 8, that Grant, 30, is joining the longstanding ABC drama as James, the hospital’s new “openly gay Episcopal” chaplain. According to the outlet, the character “holds a special place in his heart for his younger patients, and his warmth, training and spirituality make him comfortable and confident in any situation.”

James will also find “himself at a crossroads where he is open to love and taking great leaps of faith.”

Grant confirmed the casting news on his social media.

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“Hey it’s me!” Grant wrote via his Instagram Story on Thursday alongside a screenshot of an article with The Fray’s song “How to Save a Life” playing in the background. “So excited to get to join this cast!”

Before Grey’s Anatomy, Grant was best known for playing Leif on Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist alongside Jane Levy, Skylar Astin, Alex Newel and Lauren Graham. Following the series’ abrupt cancellation in 2021, Grant reprised his role in the holiday movie titled Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas which wrapped up the show’s story.

Last month, it was reported that Grey’s Anatomy was adding a new gay character to the show after Jake Borelli’s surprising exit. Borelli, 33, played fan-favorite Dr. Levi Schmitt since season 14.

Deadline reported in May that Borelli was departing the series after seven seasons. However, Borelli will appear in several episodes of season 21 to wrap up his storyline.

Grant’s addition to the Grey’s cast isn’t the only thing fans can look forward to for next season. Following the Station 19 series finale, it was announced that Jason George would be returning to Grey’s as a series regular.

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George, 52, joined Grey’s in 2010 as a recurring role on season 6 as Dr. Ben Warren. He was later bumped up to the main cast from season 12 to 14. After eight years on the series, George left the medical drama for the firefighter spinoff series in 2018.

While George had a leading role on Station 19, he made frequent guest appearances on the mothership series over the years, as his character is married to Miranda Bailey, who is played by Chandra Wilson. Wilson is one of the few OG cast members still on the show including Ellen Pompeo.

In season 20, Pompeo, 54, took a brief step back from Grey's on-screen but remained the show’s narrator and executive producer. However, Deadline reported in July that the actress' screen time would increase for season 21 as she is expected to be featured for at least seven episodes.

Grey’s Anatomy season 21 will premiere on ABC Thursday, September 26 at 10 p.m. ET.