Another doctor is scrubbing out of Grey’s Anatomy: Jake Borelli, who has played Dr. Levi Schmitt for the past seven years, will be leaving the ABC drama next season, our sister site Deadline reports.
The exit is reportedly due to budget cuts at Grey’s, which was renewed for a 21st season last month. Borelli “is in negotiations to return next season for several episodes to wrap up the story of his character,” per Deadline. In fact, the contracts of almost all of the ABC drama’s vets expire at the end of this season, so new deals will have to be hammered out for not only OGs Chandra Wilson (Bailey) and James Pickens Jr. (Richard) but Kevin McKidd (Owen), Kim Raver (Teddy), Caterina Scorsone (Amelia) and Camilla Luddington (Jo).
Borelli made his debut as Levi in the Season 14 premiere of Grey’s, with Levi joining a fresh crop of interns at Grey Sloan Memorial. Levi had a romantic relationship with orthopedic surgeon Nico Kim, played by Alex Landi, but they split up in Season 18, with Nico later leaving the hospital to take a job with the Seattle Mariners. Levi has now worked his way up to be the hospital’s chief resident, along with his roommate Taryn Helm, played by Jaicy Elliot.
Borelli also reprised his role as Levi in a half-dozen episodes of Station 19, when the ABC dramas would do a crossover. His other TV credits include The Thundermans and Greek.
Grey’s Anatomy wraps up its current 20th season on Thursday, May 30 at 9/8c on ABC. Will you miss Levi? Hit the comments to share your reaction to the news.
Great cut the one gay male character 🙄
i’m all for representation but his character has become a total bore, constantly miserable, aimless (he now wants to work in pediatrics for no particular reason) and has only had 1x significant relationship that went nowhere. the magic is lost with Levi and it has been for multiple seasons. while we’re at it, get rid of Winston Ndugu and at least one of the interns (id vote Jules)… and bring back Alex/Izzie and maybe Stephanie too.
I actually felt like Ndugu and Jiles had a spark with each other a few episodes ago. He in the only attending young enough to date an intern without giving us the ick!
I just don’t care about either character enough to watch them do a retread of a storyline we’ve seen 7 or 8 times on Greys before with a person in a position of power dating a subordinate.
No ick but still another Grey’s HR nightmare. Before this show ends, I want to see the beleaguered–and heretofore unseen–head of HR.
Better yet, a bad ass Stephanie return and she and Ndugu can get together!!!
Now this I could get behind!
Except that’s the writers’ fault, not the actor or the character’s…
is this wishful thinking time? if so, bring back cristina and callie, and fire lucas shepherd! the number of times he has committed insubordination in his short medical career.
Keep Levi. I just love his character. We have lost so many greats already.
Bye! He brought nothing to the show! His character was dull and actually boring
Never forget that when Isaiah Washington did an assault on set and using hate speech against gay actor TR Knight, Shonda responded by doing everything she could to save Washington’s job.
She then punished Knight and other actors who stood up for them for not participating in her plan for the remainder of their time on the show.
That is the legacy of GREY’S ANATOMY and gay men.
Apparently you did forget. That’s not how it happened.
That’s exactly how it happened. ABC fired Washington and Shonda was mad. TR Knight was mobbed into leaving the show
yup that is correct, and then Katherine Heigl was painted out to be the villain and difficult just for speaking up and standing up for TR Knight.
Nope, they’re exactly right. Shonda bent over backwards to keep her bigoted pal, and then exacted revenge on many people who spoke up against Washington.
Why did I know this would be the first response? What do you propose; keep him on the show forever, simply because he plays a gay character? Diversity is important, but we don’t have to take it too far. Yes, he plays a gay character, but the character is so much more than his sexuality. The writers don’t really know what to do with him and I don’t find his character all that interesting, so I can’t blame them for letting him go if they have to choose someone due to budget cuts. I’ll bet he won’t be the only one. Hopefully he gets a good exit.
I don’t think anyone was suggesting he stay on forever, and I’m sure no one was boiling the character or the actor down to just his sexuality. But when a series that has had a history of being problematic toward gay men (as discussed in previous comments), it’s fair to raise an eyebrow when the one character who falls to the axe of budget cuts also happens to be the one gay male character on the show.
I have never liked Levi so I’m quite happy to see him go. We can keep Helm though!
This decision seems idiotic. I hope they change their minds and find a better way.
I will miss him. I liked the character.
Budget cuts??? It’s okay, Ellen. You don’t need another raise (I’m assuming)
The character never clicked with me, but a shame as it seemed he did have a good deal of fans.
I like Levi but they don’t quite seem to know what to do with him, as he’s caught between the older generation (Bailey, Owen, Amelia, Jo, etc) and the new imterns. He’s grown a lot, so it makes sense to just give him a satisfying ending.
This is so ridiculous. Grey’s is already boring and I found the Levi’s storyline in peds very good. Why did they have to do that with him? I mean, Owen is on the edge for quite time now…
Levi’s character has been in the back burner ever since Nico left so I’m not surprised. But the series just need to die already
Can’t they make budget cuts elsewhere? Levi is a great character. Please don’t let him go!!
Finally. His character is so boring and I hope Jo is next, they dragging her story for no reason.
Keep Levi. I just love his character. We have lost so many greats already. They need something big for him..
Yes, he’ll be missed. I sure we don’t loose Bailey.
Going to miss him a great actor hope he will be blessed in whatever he does next 😭🥰
I loved him but I get it. His character was going nowhere. Tends to be the case on a show with what seems like 100 regular characters. I can’t wait to see what Jake does next!
Good, he is boring and has been boring for years!
Dang Levi was one of my favorite characters & the only one I really followed since he showed up. Could have cut any of the interns or Owen & Teddy & i wouldn’t care. Hope he gets a good job shortly after this.
Also don’t let him go out like George.
Given the season is reportedly for 18 episodes. Down from the usual 22+. I doubt there will be many less episodes for the regulars. If they hammer out new deals. But given the show has ALOT of characters. Surprised it is Levi who is going. But having two co-chiefs. Something had to give.
I liked the character of Levi but it felt like the writers didn’t know what to do with him. If he’d come around seasons 1-6, we’d talk about him the way we talk about Christina, George, and Izzie.
On another note, I fear this spells doom for at least 3 other actors on the show.
Since all the contracts are expiring I’m sticking with my story that Season 20 was supposed to be the end for Greys Anatomy but since the season was cut in half by the strikes, they couldn’t tell whatever story they had planned. Schmitt will be missed but his absence won’t kill the show necessarily. You can bet your soul that new contracts will be signed with some of the other main players but they’ll probably have to sign NDA’s not to disclose the terms of the contract… which will be that it’s a one year deal. Grey’s days are numbered. Next season will probably be the last.
What else are they going to do? Fire all the veterans and leave the show to the newbies? Yeah, that didn’t even work when the medical sitcom (Scrubs) tried it. And they didn’t have anywhere near as much history riding on it.
Levi will be missed. His character was awesome.
I was a fan at first but he hasn’t really added anything to the show in about 2 seasons now. I wish the actor well but I won’t miss Levi. 🤷🏾♂️
Wow shame on the new showrunner. Yes, Grey’s has had other queer characters but this was the only male main character in 20 seasons. I think I might finally be on board with the show ending. Looking forward to seeing Jake in his next project.
This is gonna sound harsh but it’s true. Levi has been dull for a very long time (probably since Nico left) and on top of that, Levi used to be somewhat decent eye-candy until he put on like 30kg – so he doesn’t even have that going for him anymore. He’s one of multiple characters that drag the show down, the other worst offenders being: Owen, Teddy, Winston, most of the interns except Yasuda and Adams. We need a culling, one or two new exciting characters added and a mass return of legacy characters and there are loads of good ones to choose from: Addison, April, Jackson, Stephanie, Arizona, Izzie, Alex…
I like all of the surgical interns except Blue.
So, according to you, only skinny people can be attractive and that’s just objective fact? Mmmkay.
I hope you stretched before making that leap. Where did I say that “ONLY skinny people can be attractive”? #1 that’s not true. #2 that’s not what I said. Now when it comes to Levi/Jake Borelli… he is less attractive (to me) with his considerable weight gain and I’m fairly certain I’m not the only person who thinks so. That wouldn’t matter at all if his character were interesting or likable or contributed anything exciting to the show… but he doesn’t.
You said “on top of that, Levi used to be somewhat decent eye-candy until he put on like 30kg – so he doesn’t even have that going for him anymore” which in your own words is “he was at least kind of attractive until he put on weight and now he’s not.”
…and how does that equate to me saying that ONLY skinny people can be attractive? Im saying that in his particular case, he put on about 5 stone/30kg and he looks less attractive because of it in my opinion. Would that be the case for everyone? No. You took my statement about one person and decided to apply it to everybody. It’s giving triggered!
Don’t think he’ll be missed. Always wondered why he was still on the show anyway. He doesn’t really add anything to the show & doesn’t fit the role he’s in.
What is going on in this writing room? I don’t understand why they continue to let characters wither on the vine and instead introduce a bunch of new ones, only to eventually do the same to them.
I know he was made chief resident & everything but wouldn’t his residency be finishing soon? 7 years on the show, & 6 years for internship / residency. I know Greys doesn’t have the most seamless relationship with time but as it’s about teaching I feel like it can allow him to move on to another opportunity while keeping the character alive.
*5 years, but they seemed to be setting that up with the new peds surgeon in that Levi could’ve stayed on as a peds fellow and trained under her like Alex did with Arizona and then eventually become an attending.
The show needs to go – I do not know why they have to drag out a good thing . Greys used to be the best show on tv . Why do this ? The people that you bring back were not contributing anything anymore when they left !
Give the show some dignity if possible 🌸
We agree the show has to go. We FF through 50% of the show. Take Ellen’s voice off enough of her already. She must want another raise
Very disappointed that so help me Todd has been canceled. It was delightful and entertaining, and I was looking forward to The next season. I know others who are upset as well.
Different network. Different production companies. Completely unrelated to this article.
So.. why??
Welcome to the Off Topic response of the day.