‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star Reacts to a Potential Return 7 Years After Leaving the Series

For a series that has been on air for 21 long seasons, Grey’s Anatomy has had its fair share of stars who have left the show, with some eventually returning to reprise their roles. However, Martin Henderson — who played Dr. Nathan Riggs in ABC’s medical drama — is one of the actors who never returned to the series. Seven years after exiting the show, Henderson reveals he’s actually open to a possible Grey’s Anatomy return, but under one condition.

The character’s introduction comes on the heels of another actor’s unexpected and dramatic exit. Henderson’s Nathan Riggs was introduced in 2012, replacing Patrick Dempsey‘s Derek Shepherd as Meredith Grey’s (played by Ellen Pompeo) love interest. Though Henderson’s stint on Grey’s Anatomy was well-received by fans, his character was written out of the show midway through Season 14. Henderson, who’s now busier than ever playing Jack Sheridan in Netflix’s Virgin River, feels like his Nathan Riggs character never had a pivotal role in the show, rather than merely being Meredith Grey’s love interest.

Will Martin Henderson Ever Return to ‘Grey’s Anatomy’?

The answer is yes. But the actor has only one condition: there should be a “clear plan” for his character. In an interview with Deadline, Henderson revealed that he’s always open to the possibility of returning to the series, especially considering his experiences working with Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes in other ABC projects. He told the outlet:

“I haven’t given it a lot of thought, just because I’ve been so committed and busy with Virgin River and some other stuff and life. But I think Shonda Rhimes has always been really supportive of me; we’ve actually worked together a bunch of times on different things, so I would always be open to the possibility. Again, if it fitted in with whatever else was going on in my life at the time and my career.”

He continued, “As long as I felt that the character had something to do and I could give something, because I don’t think they really knew what to do with Nathan. It was almost like a stopgap measure with the departure of Derek. It was like, oh, we need a love interest. And so he, and by virtue I, was dropped into this world, but I don’t think he was ever that defined. If I were to go back, I would have to make sure that there was a really clear plan for why he was there.”

Grey’s Anatomy is a long-running medical drama without seemingly any plans to stop anytime soon. Throughout 20 seasons (with Season 21 still ongoing), the show has already introduced a number of storylines to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. While the show has already seen several characters come and go, it would be interesting to see a character return and see how they’ve fared after their exit — especially someone who has not been on the show for seven years. Of course, the idea of Nathan Riggs ever returning could be an exciting storyline for the show. But that could only happen once there’s a better plan for the character, like how Henderson put it himself.