‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Casts First Recurring Nonbinary Doctor
Grey’s Anatomy is currently airing its 18th season, and the long-running series is taking a step toward more inclusion in their cast, introducing the first nonbinary doctor in the series’ history. Dr. Kai Bartley was initially introduced as a member of a Minnesota research team, though they are returning November 11 as a recurring character.
E.R. Fightmaster is a nonbinary actor and plays Bartley. They also played a nonbinary character in the Hulu original series Shrill, which aired its final season this year.
Initially, Bartley urged Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Amelia Shepherd (Saterina Scorsone) to join them in finding a cure for Parkinson’s Disease, and it was also hinted that there could be a romantic plotline for Kai and Amelia, who lightly flirt over Zoom.
Shondaland, the production company owned by the series creator Shonda Rhimes, announced the Fightmaster would join the cast as a recurring character in an Instagram post.
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The caption details Kai as a character dedicated to their craft and extremely talented, adding, “Confident as hell and able to make even the most detailed and mundane science seem exciting and cool, Kai and Amelia bond over their shared love of medicine and the brain.”
Though it’s a milestone for Grey’s, it’s not the first time the medical drama has sought LGBTQ representation and characters. Kai is the first nonbinary doctor, but not the first trans character—trans actor Alex Blue Davis was on the show from Seasons 14 to 16 playing the show’s first trans resident, Casey Parker.
Sara Ramirez starred in the show for 11 seasons as Callie Torres, becoming the longest-running LGBTQ character in primetime history. The character was praised as a rare positive portrayal of a bisexual woman in mainstream media and for her relationship with Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw).
Recent seasons also saw Jake Borelli as Levi Schmitt, whose on-and-off again relationship with Nico Kim (Alex Landi) became a focus of his character’s story through the show. The characters’ first kiss led Borelli to open up about his own sexuality outside of the show, saying on Instagram that it was the kind of story he craved as a young, gay kid growing up in Ohio.
“As a gay guy myself, tonight’s episode was so special to me,” he says.
Photo courtesy of Shondaland on Instagram
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