That’s a wrap. Sarah Drew and Jessica Capshaw’s final episode of Grey’s Anatomy aired on Thursday, May 17, and directly after the season 14 finale, both actresses took to Instagram to share goodbye messages. Drew, 37, posted a photo with costar Jesse Williams holding a wooden box that was plastered with photos.
“This moment was extraordinary. After our final scene, our beautiful crew gathered around me and Jessica and presented us with gorgeous boxes full of pictures and letters from everyone. It was so heavy and I didn’t know how to open it and look through it while holding it, so Jesse came up and opened it for me. Thank you, Camilla for snapping this pic!!” the actress captioned the photo. “Jessica and I got to share with our crew how much they’ve meant to us. It was so sweet.”
She continued: “This season, the experience of shadowing Chandra and Kevin gave me a new perspective and an incredibly profound respect for our crew. Spending every moment on set for a full episode allowed me to see their tireless dedication, and their extraordinary talent in a new way. Every single crew member is absolutely essential to the creative process and though they all work tirelessly, they rarely get celebrated or recognized for their amazing contribution. Despite the incredibly long hours that our crew dedicates to Grey’s every week for nine months out of the year, they still somehow manage to show up every day with enthusiasm, commitment and positivity. It’s been truly humbling to witness. We have the best crew.”
Drew, who’s joined the ABC drama as April Kepner in season 6, also shared a photo collage made by a fan. “It’s hard to say goodbye to characters I’ve played. It always feels like a little death, but this is different. I’ve lived with April nine months out of the year every year for nine years. She’s a part of me. I’m a part of her,” she wrote on Instagram. “Saying goodbye to her is big and deep and sad and beautiful and joyous. It’s all the feelings mashed up into one. Because I’ve spent so much time with her, advocating for her, investing in her journey, she feels like a real person to me. She’s been through a lot of joy and a lot of pain, and I’ve felt that joy and that pain while playing those scenes. Her stories have made their way deep into my soul. So it is hard to let her go.”
Capshaw, 41, also shared multiple photos from the series on her Instagram on Thursday night, including a group photo of herself with Drew and Kelly McCreary. “This is a fierce and powerful trio of women (if I do say so myself). Ladies dressed in feminine florals, but make no mistake, we are badasses through and through … Hey, Charlie. ..we’re your next angels,” she wrote.
In March, ABC announced that Capshaw and Drew were leaving the show. During the finale, April got married in a last-minute wedding to Matthew and quit the hospital to work with the homeless. Meanwhile, Arizona decided to move to New York to be with Callie and her family.
Grey’s Anatomy will return to ABC in the fall.
