Grey’s Anatomy Adds Peter Gallagher in Major Arc for Season 18

If you thought you’d seen the last of Peter Gallagher after Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist was canceled at NBC, think again. Deadline has exclusively revealed that the actor has been cast for multiple episodes that will form a major story arc in Season 18 of Grey’s Anatomy.

Gallagher is set to play Dr. Alan Hamilton, an old friend of Meredith Grey’s (Ellen Pompeo) late mother, Ellis (Kate Burton). The announcement confirms that the new season of ABC’s longest-running drama series, helmed by showrunner Krista Vernoff and executive produced by Shonda Rhimes, will delve deeper into the past of Meredith’s mother, especially considering that Burton was invited to return for multiple episodes.

zoeys-extraordinary-playlist-jane-levy-peter-gallagher-social — Image via NBC

Depending on how Gallagher’s arc plays out, we could be looking at a future regular cast member, since the show has a long history of introducing actors as guest stars and subsequently incorporating them into the main cast. Before Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Gallagher guest starred on Netflix’s Grace and Frankie and NBC’s Law & Order: SVU. The actor is also known for his work on The O.C., The Good Wife, American Beauty, and Steven Soderbergh‘s Sex, Lies, and Videotape.

Grey’s Anatomy follows the everyday lives of a group of doctors at the Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital, in Seattle. Throughout each season, they struggle to balance their careers, medical cases, and romantic relationships. After more than 15 years on air, Grey’s Anatomy is still the top-rated scripted series on ABC and has spawned several spin-offs. Back in 2017, Pompeo made headlines as she became the highest-paid actress in a primetime drama series, cashing in $20 million a year. The actress received another salary bump for the new season.

Season 18 of Grey’s Anatomy is set to premiere on September 30, with Gallagher making his debut in the season premiere.

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