Kali Rocha finally explains why Sydney Heron was suddenly written out of Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy just welcomed back an old face for Season 21, but where has Dr. Sydney Heron been? The actress explains!
Grey's Anatomy is good at bringing back some past characters over the years. They can range from major past characters to a few supporting players, as the door is always open for someone to come back after years away and close out a story. Yet the return of Dr. Sydney Heron in the Season 21 opener was a surprise.
The character first appeared way back in Season 2's "Break On Through" when the hospital was dealing with Bailey on maternity leave and a nurse's strike. Played by Kali Rocha, she instantly became known for her ridiculously perky and positive attitude that soon drove the other doctors crazy. A flashback episode revealed she'd lost a patient when she was an intern and so put on the show of always smiling through the pain.
The character was a recurring face for a while, even going on a date with Derek. However, she departed after Season 4 with the storyline that she'd taken a job in Florida. Yet Grey's Anatomy Season 21 had her returning to replace Bailey as the residency director and, incredibly, even perkier than ever to throw the interns off.
It's a fun return, but why did Rocha leave the show in the first place?
Rocha explains her long absence from Grey's Anatomy
Some might wonder if Rocha departed amid issues of money or creative conflicts with Shonda Rhimes and producers. But in an interview with Tell-Tale TV, the actress explained it was nothing so serious. Rather, she always knew this was a small role and that the writers didn't have much more for Sydney to do. After that, it was just bad timing preventing a return.
"It was a long time ago that I first went on the show, and then very sweetly, they kept bringing me back in different incarnations as Sydney, but in different jobs. And then it just sort of went away with no real explanation. I think they tried to call once, but I was very heavily pregnant, so it wouldn't have worked, I think, in the storyline. Then I just sort of forgot about it. It never occurred to me that I would get that phone call 17 seasons later saying, 'Hey, we want to bring you back.'"
Rocha had praise for Rhimes in how the Grey's cast and set feel even more diverse and welcoming than when she first appeared on it. She enjoyed bonding with older cast members like Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, and James Pickens Jr. while also enjoying the younger cast members playing the interns. She also talked about how it felt slipping back into a role after 17 years.
"I don't know exactly why, but it took nothing to go back and remember her needs, her motivations, her insecurities, her ambitions, and her flaws and foibles. It just really came back very quickly. I mean, I think the writers knew my character very well, but I have to say, I also knew my character very well. And I was surprised by that, because it has been so long, but it was not hard to step back into it."
Heron will be sticking around for a bit, even as Bailey is determined to get her job back. It'll be great seeing them clash as Rocha laughs on how Heron is "killing Bailey with kindness." It's a great return to the character and wonderful to see her back on Grey's.
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Grey's Anatomy Season 21 airs Thursdays at 10/9c on ABC.