Kate Burton to Return as Meredith Grey's Late Mother in Season 18 of 'Grey's Anatomy'

Kate Burton last appeared on Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Ellis Grey in 2019's season 15

Kate Burton - Grey's Anatomy
Photo: Vivian Zink/Walt Disney Television via Getty

Kate Burton has booked her Grey's Anatomy return.

The actress, 63, will return to the hit ABC medical drama series next month to reprise her role as Meredith Grey's (Ellen Pompeo) late mother, Dr. Ellis Grey, PEOPLE has confirmed.

Burton is set to reprise her role in multiple episodes, starting with the Season 18 premiere. It is currently unknown how her character will be brought back onto the show.

Deadline was the first to report the news.

Burton's character died back in Season 3 after suffering from Alzheimer's. She last appeared on beloved series in 2019's season 15, where she appeared to Meredith in a dream.

To date, Burton has acted in a total of 23 episodes of Grey's Anatomy in both a guest star and recurring capacity, per Deadline. She earned two Emmy nominations for her role.

GREY'S ANATOMY Kate Burton, Ellen Pompeo
Scott Garfield/Walt Disney Television via Getty

The reappearance of Meredith's mother will come about after the series featured several major returns during season 17. Throughout the season, Meredith was visited by a handful of former characters as she spent time on an imaginary beach while she struggled with COVID-19.

Guest appearances included Chyler Leigh as her half-sister Lexie, Eric Dane as Mark Sloan, T.R. Knight as George O'Malley and Patrick Dempsey as Meredith's longtime love, Derek Shepherd.

Production on Grey's Anatomy season 18 began on Wednesday, as documented by Pompeo, 51, in a video shared on her Instagram Story.

In the clip, the actress is seen in her makeup chair preparing to shoot scenes. "Guess what time it is??" Pompeo wrote alongside the post, adding the hashtag, "GreysSeason18."

Related Articles