Is another one biting the dust? Chandra Wilson, who plays Chief of Surgery Miranda Bailey on Grey’s Anatomy, opened up about her character’s future on the medial drama after a new promo hinted that she may be departing the show.
ABC sent fans into a frenzy after releasing an intense trailer for the Thursday, February 1, episode, “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper,” in which Bailey suffers a heart attack. “Let’s say Bailey has been stressed,” Wilson, 48, told Entertainment Weekly on Wednesday, January 31, of her character’s condition. “Is Bailey leaving? I think this is the right thing to say: Bailey’s been stressed and needs to take care of herself.”
Wilson also teased that Bailey is under pressure to due to her unwillingness to accept husband Dr. Ben Warren’s career switch — the former surgical resident is now pursuing firefighting, which will be showcased on his spinoff series, Station 19. “She hasn’t had any problems telling anyone who will listen that she’s not happy about it at all,” Wilson explained. “He has already switched careers once, from anesthesiology to becoming a resident, because that’s supposedly where his passion was, and now his passion is changing again.”
And although Wilson’s character may be inherently supportive of her husband’s choice, she fears the unknown. “Bailey doesn’t like unstable ground. She likes to know what’s happening next and what’s going to happen after that,” Wilson continued. “Even though she would never begrudge someone the opportunity to expand and to explore and to be their best self, she still likes things to be consistent, so she’s not very happy with her husband, and not being able to express that unhappiness coupled with the normal stresses of the position that she’s been in, that’s a lot on her plate.”
Wilson added that Thursday’s episode will delve deep into Bailey’s past and reveal why she behaves the way she does. “There are things that get revealed in this episode about Bailey’s upbringing that make you understand the person that you’ve been seeing since the pilot,” Wilson said. “Where she’s coming from, why she behaves the way she behaves, the kind of relationships that she has with her family, the kind of relationships she has with patients, the driven, professional woman that she is — you get a glimpse of where the seed of her comes from.”
Fans took to Twitter to wonder whether Wilson will head to Station 19 to be with Warren.
#AskChandra will you be appearing on station 19? (If Bailey lives…)
— brianna banana (@fragileflame13) February 1, 2018
I think they won’t kill her off but may transfer her character from Grey’s to Station 19, which I honestly hope they won’t, but I see a possibility here. But killing Bailey off would kill the show & I think they know that. She’s a precious queen who should have Shonda-immunity.😂
— ~Ali~ (@AliSpeakeu) February 1, 2018
There’s NO WAY Miranda Bailey is gonna die!!!! Especially with Station 19 starting & Ben being then main character & all. Idk guys I’m freakin out
— Jen Stumphauzer (@jstumpy32) February 1, 2018
Grey’s Anatomy airs on ABC Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET.
