Why did Miller leave Station 19?

Station 19 Season 5 dealt a serious blow. Dean Miller was killed during a call, and it destroyed all of us. Why did Okieriete Onaodowan leave the series?

During Station 19 Season 5, we lost one of the OG members of the family in a heartbreaking blow. Dean Miller was killed during a call, despite all of Ben’s best efforts to save him. That led to a custody battle between Miller’s parents and Ben and Bailey for Pru. Naturally, Pru’s grandparents thought the best place for her was with family, but Miller wanted Ben and Bailey to raise his daughter.

Was the death a way to bring in this sort of drama? When it comes to TV shows, we often worry that deaths are done for creative reasons to push the plot forward or for a different character’s development. Just look at Tara’s death in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. So, whose choice was it to kill off Miller?

Why did Okieriete Onaodowan leave Station 19?

It turns out that it was Okieriete Onaodowan’s decision to leave the series. He approached the producers during the fourth season to see if he could be written out f the show. It shouldn’t be too surprising that as an actor, he wanted to move onto other projects.

It’s not like Onaodowan isn’t all that talented and sought after, either. Just look at his performances in Hamilton.

Does he regret leaving? Not at all. This doesn’t mean he didn’t enjoy playing Miller, but actors like to do other roles and styles of performances. Playing Miller was great at the time and he loved the cast and crew, but he was just ready to leave that job behind and focus on another one. While we become attached to characters, it’s important to remember that these are jobs for the actors.

What did you think of Miller’s exit? What do you hope to see now that Station 19 is back after its winter break? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Station 19 airs Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC.