Grey's Anatomy Star Sara Ramírez Reveals Why They Left The Show

screenrant.com:

Sara Ramírez discusses their role as Callie Torres and why they decided to leave Grey's Anatomy. Ramírez made their debut as Callie back in season 2. She quickly became a fan-favorite character responsible for many of the show's best comedic moments. Callie was also one of the first prominent bisexual figures on TV, coming to that discovery in season 4. Her biggest romantic relationship on Grey's Anatomy was with Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw), who she eventually married. However, after Arizona loses her leg in a plane crash, later seasons find the two struggling, and they wind up divorcing.

Ramírez exited Grey's Anatomy in 2016, with Callie's last appearance coming in the season 12 finale. The character was written off by moving to New York with her then-girlfriend Penny. However, when Capshaw departed the series in season 14, Arizona opted to move out East so she and Callie's daughter, Sofia, could have her parents together. Upon their own exit, Ramírez cited the need for some time off after starring on the show for ten years.

Related: Grey's Anatomy: Penny's Abrupt Season 12 Exit Explained

Now, in a new interview with Variety, they reflect on their Grey's Anatomy experience, including the reason for their departure from the long-running series. Ramírez explains:

I had reached a physical, emotional, mental capacity for playing the character — and had sort of lost myself with it.

It makes sense Ramírez exited the show when they did. Ten years is a long time to play any character, let alone one as visible as Callie. For the majority of Ramírez's time on Grey's Anatomy, Callie played a major role, often in multiple storylines at once. Though the character's scenes were arguably a bit lighter in the beginning, as Callie