Knight to Exit "Grey's Anatomy" Early; Broadway May Be Next

By Adam Hetrick
18 Jun 2009

T.R. Knight
T.R. Knight
photo by Aubrey Reuben

Stage and screen actor T.R. Knight will make an early exit from the hit ABC series "Grey's Anatomy" and may be planning a return to Broadway.

Entertainment Weekly reports that Knight made a request to producers and series creator Shonda Rhimes to be released from his contract, which still had three years remaining. His request was granted this past week.

Knight, who appeared on Broadway in Tartuffe and in the 2001 revival of Noises Off, was reportedly unhappy with a lack of storyline for his character, Dr. George O'Malley. The series began in 2005.

The actor may be planning a Broadway return in a revival of Ken Ludwig's Tony-nominated comedy Lend Me a Tenor, which had a recent reading featuring Alfred Molina, Tony Shalhoub, Marian Seldes and Knight.

Knight has also appeared onstage in Scattergood, the world premiere of Julia Jordan's Boy, Conor McPherson's This Lime Tree Bower and in the short-lived sitcom "Charlie Lawrence" opposite Nathan Lane.