★ It’s the end of an era – the Alex Karev era – on Grey’s Anatomy. Though Justin didn’t appear in episode 16.16 titled “Leave a Light on,” he did provide the voiceovers for Alex’s letters and this episode marked his series wrap.

I already shared my thoughts before, but I’ll reiterated my gratitude to Justin for his hard work and dedication to brilliantly playing Alex for 16 seasons and congratulate him for bringing to life a character who’s had a huge impact in the Grey’s universe and been an inspiration for fans around the world. I wish Justin all the very best in this new chapter of his life. ✨❤️

Following the airing of the episode, ABC released this “A Farewell to Alex Karev” video tribute.

 
★ Grey’s showrunner Krista Vernoff released this statement after the episode:

“It is nearly impossible to say goodbye to Alex Karev. That is as true for me and for all of the writers at Grey’s Anatomy as it is for the fans. We have loved writing Alex. And we have loved watching Justin Chambers’ nuanced portrayal of him. For 16 seasons, 16 years, we have grown up alongside Alex Karev. We have been frustrated by his limitations and we have been inspired by his growth and we have come to love him deeply and to think of him as one of our very best friends. We will miss him terribly. And we will always be grateful for his impact, on our show, on our hearts, on our fans, on the world.”

 
★ A few people who worked with Justin have mentioned him recently. Jesse Williams aka Dr. Jackson Avery speaking to Entertainment Tonight had this to say about the departure of Justin and Alex Karev:

“It can’t not reverberate. It’s such an incredible, impactful character,” Williams told ET on Wednesday in New York City while promoting his upcoming Broadway debut in Take Me Out on the aftermath of Alex’s departure. “I’ve always said that’s always been one of my favorite characters.”

Even with Chambers’ time on Grey’s over, his absence will be deeply felt for the foreseeable future, especially when it comes to Jo’s storyline moving forward.

“[Justin’s] been one of the sweetest and funniest guys on set with me and everyone, certainly not just me. He’s a light and he’s so unassuming and chill as a person. And that character is specific and rooted and motivated,” the 38-year-old actor said. “Yeah, it’s a big departure and it will impact all of us and impact the relationships that form and sever as a result, for sure.”

 
Lisa Ann Walter posted this sweet story about the compliment Justin gave her when they worked together in the 350th episode (ep 16.08 “My Shot”). The full post can be read below but here is the Justin-related part.

“…Justin gave me probably one of the top two compliments I’ve ever received for my acting…
After shooting in the morning, Justin approached me on a break –
He had Camilla Luddington introduce him and said this: “I told Camilla I wanted to meet you because I wanted to tell you this-”
With that he faced me, taking both of my arms in his hands- looking into my eyes. “Your work inspired me. The scene in The Parent Trap – where you learn that one twin is the other… that’s one of the scenes that made me want to become an actor”. I gasped. “That’s the best compliment you could ever give me – besides that I’m a good mom”. We spoke more – about work and how it was when we were young actors. But I thought everyone should know what a kindness he did for me.
Our work isn’t easy. There are people in my industry who’ve gone out of their way to be kind… But this moment stood out – and I wanted to share. This is who Justin Chambers is.”

 
Marika Dominczyk, who played Eliza Minnick in season 13, congratulated and wished Justin well with this post.

★ Actor Christian Ganiere, who played Gus Carter in Season 15 of Grey’s Anatomy (Alex’s patient with the rare blood type), was interviewed by the site Star Kidz and spoke about working with Justin and the sweet gift he received. Check out what he said below.

 
Q: What was your experience like working with Justin Chambers?

Christian: He is the best ever! He was always so nice. He knew my name. Always said hi. And when we finished shooting he gave me a bunch of matchbox cars with his information on a card that said it was great to work with me. I was blown away.
 
 

★ Now that the photo archive is up and running again, I’ve uploaded all the photos and screencaptures from the first seven episodes of season 16.
The 350th episode (ep 16.08), which is also Justin’s last episode, will be in a separate update along with the photos of the cast & crew celebration.

🔸 This is the link to the BTS photos which include Justin with a young girl who was an extra in an episode, and with Camilla Luddington during the Halloween-themed episode 16.06 “Whistlin’ Past the Graveyard”.

Season 16 > Behind the Scenes/ On Set

 
🔸 Here are the links to the albums with the episodic photos ABC released and also Justin’s season 16 cast photo.

 
🔸 And finally, these are the links to the screencaps from episode 16.01 to episode 16.07.

★ In an article from PEOPLE, Justin says it was a hard decision to leave Grey’s Anatomy after 15 years. He’s looking forward to “life, family, love, and friendships,” and in terms of his career, he’s most interested right now in producing documentaries. Check out the article below.

Justin Chambers has a lot to look forward to.

On Monday, days after the Grey’s Anatomy actor confirmed his exit from the ABC medical drama after 15 years, he addressed his difficult decision to leave the beloved Shondaland show and revealed what he wants to pursue next.

“I’m very excited [for this new chapter],” the actor told Page Six while leaving Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles. “Of course [it was a hard decision]. Anywhere that you spend 15 years, it’s a big chunk of your life.”

When asked what he’s looking forward to, Chambers, 49, responded, “Life, family, love, and friendships.”

On Friday, ABC confirmed to PEOPLE that the original cast member had left Grey’s after starring as Dr. Alex Karev for 16 seasons. His final episode aired on Nov. 14, 2019, so he will not get a send-off episode.

“There’s no good time to say goodbye to a show and character that’s defined so much of my life for the past 15 years,” Chambers said in a statement to PEOPLE. “For some time now, however, I have hoped to diversify my acting roles and career choices. And, as I turn 50 and am blessed with my remarkable, supportive wife and five wonderful children, now is that time.”

He added, “As I move on from Grey’s Anatomy, I want to thank the ABC family, Shonda Rimes, original cast members Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens, and the rest of the amazing cast and crew, both past and present, and, of course, the fans for an extraordinary ride.”

While the actor told Page Six he’s “taking it one day at a time,” he has an idea of his next career move.

“Producing documentaries, that’s what I’m most interested in right now,” Chambers told the outlet. “Grey’s has been very supportive of me and I’m very grateful and it’s been a great ride.”

 
 
★ Following Justin’s announcement, several people who worked with him over the years on Grey’s posted on social media about him. Check out the tweets and Instagram posts below. I also added a short description of what each person did on the show.

This week ended with the news that Justin has left Grey’s Anatomy. His final episode already aired in November and it was the 350th episode (ep 16.08 titled “My Shot”).

This is Justin’s statement on his departure:

“There’s no good time to say goodbye to a show and character that’s defined so much of my life for the past 15 years. For some time now, however, I have hoped to diversify my acting roles and career choices. And, as I turn 50 and am blessed with my remarkable, supportive wife and five wonderful children, now is that time. As I move on from Grey’s Anatomy, I want to thank the ABC family, Shonda, original cast members Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens, and the rest of the amazing cast and crew, both past and present, and, of course, the fans for an extraordinary ride.”

 
This is kind of hard to do but I just wanted to briefly say something. As an Alex Karev fan since 2005, it’s been a privilege to have been on this extraordinary ride for 15 years. Words can’t even begin to express how much Alex has meant to me and to so many others. He is a complex and layered individual who has overcome so many hardships, and it resulted in the greatest character development of anyone on the show. The character and his journey resonated with people because he was portrayed truthfully and beautifully by such a talented actor. Grey’s owes much of its success to Justin devoting all these years to playing Alex. He has been an integral part of the show and by far a fan favorite. Not everyone can say they’re a part of TV history, or that they’re a pop culture icon, or that they’ve played a character that has inspired and given hope to so many, but Justin can (though he won’t because he’s humble like that). And at the end of it all, I (and I’m sure so many other fans) have so much love and appreciation for him and endless gratitude for his dedication to playing Alex Karev for 15 years.🙏❤️
Now a new chapter has begun, and I look forward to whatever Justin chooses to do next.✨

★ Season 15 of Grey’s Anatomy has come to an end, and at 25 episodes it was a long one! The show is now on hiatus until the season 16 premiere in late September 2019. As to the cast and crew, they are enjoying their well-deserved break with production on season 16 starting in late July. So, congratulations to all on completing another season and happy hiatus! 😎🍹

 
★ Now on to the updates… To start off, I added to the archive a scan of the article in the current issue of People magazine titled “How Grey’s Changed Its Stars’ Lives,” where Justin and a few other cast members say how the show has impacted them. Click on the preview pic for the album.

 
★ ABC released 3 more stills and a BTS photo from the Grey’s season finale titled “Jump into the Fog” and they have been added to the archive, as well as the screencaps from the episode. The links to the respective albums are below.

Promotional Photos > 15.25 – Jump into the Fog

Screencaps > 15.25 – Jump into the Fog

 
★ Here are a few BTS photos posted on Instagram. First, young actor Christian Ganiere, who did a fantastic job playing Gus in the finale and several previous episodes, posted this pic with Justin saying it was an amazing experience shooting with him and he’s the nicest guy ever.

 
Grey’s set costumer, Andrea Medina, posted a few photos (swipe to see them) of her working on Justin when they were shooting the season finale, and she says he’s “the best.”

 
Next, actress Ali Hillis (played Gus’s mother) posted another BTS pic from episode 15.24 titled “Drawn to the Blood” featuring Justin, actor Greg Winter (played Gus’s father), and Gus’s scattered Legos.

 
And to wrap this update post, Alex Blue Davis (Dr. Casey Parker), posted a throwback photo of himself on set with Justin in episode 15.13 “I Walk the Line,” I believe.

★ The interviews the Grey’s Anatomy cast gave on the set of the show in January are being released this week ahead of the record-breaking episode this Thursday. There is more still to come, but here are the first few.

In these following two videos posted by E! News, the cast answers rapid fire questions about each other. It’s actually pretty funny and gives some good insight into the cast. 😂

 
★ Good Morning America has been airing segments about Grey’s this week. The first video aired on Tuesday and the cast talks about the romance on the show. The second video aired on Wednesday and the cast share what is their favorite episode.

★ ABC released promotional photos for Grey’s Anatomy episode 15.17 titled “And Dream of Sheep” airing March 17th this week. There is one photo of Justin and it can be seen in high quality at the album linked below.

Promotional Photos > 15.17- And Dream of Sheep

 
★ The Hollywood Reporter posted an article about Grey’s making history this week when it airs the 332nd episode and surpasses ER as the longest-running primetime medical drama.
The article has quotes from the entire cast and the showrunner (Krista Vernoff), but I’m only posting Justin’s. Read it in full at the link.

Other castmembers point to medical storylines that have helped viewers diagnose loved ones. Wilson is especially proud of the cyclic vomiting syndrome episode, while Chambers singles out exploring mental illness with Alex’s mother in a storyline first planted in the show’s early days. But all involved can point to several subjects the series has explored that have helped open minds and let viewers see versions of themselves on TV.
(…)
Everyone on the Grey’s call sheet will give credit for the show’s creative and ratings resurgence to Vernoff, who as Chambers says, “hit a refresh button and reinvigorated the show.”
(…)
As the episode doubles as a celebration of sorts of the record-breaking milestone, the stars all share the same refrain when asked about the significance of doing a whopping 332 hours of television. All involved recall their initial shock that the series few thought would work has become the powerhouse franchise it is today.

“My goal was to do the pilot, take the check and pay some bills!” Wilson recalls with a laugh. Adds Chambers: “When we were in season two, I’d say to everybody, ‘Do you think we’ve got two more years? I just wanted to get my kids to college.’ And now some of them are done with it!”
(…)
Of the many notable cast departures, Vernoff, Pompeo and the cast all have quick answers at the ready when asked about which former Grey’s co-stars they’d like to bring back to Prospect Studios:

Chambers (Alex): “Richard Edward Herrmann. He played my intern for a while and was such a joy to work with. He passed on but I felt very lucky to work with him.”

 
★ To celebrate reaching a new milestone, ABC put together the following ‘By the Numbers’ video for Grey’s which enumerates the amount of surgeries, weddings, hookups, seriouslys, among other things.