If given the chance, Sara Ramirez would most certainly return to Grey's Anatomy and reprise their role of Dr. Callie Torres.
Ahead of the And Just Like That season one finale, Sara opened up about their time on the hit ABC medical drama in which they portrayed an orthopedic surgeon for 10 seasons. As fans know, their character joined the popular TV series in February 2006 for season 2 and later, exited at the end of season 12 in May 2016. Speaking with People, they reflected on what it was like working on Grey's and how it impacted their lives on and off-screen.
"Being part of the Shondaland family was one of the greatest honors of my life, one of the greatest privileges," Sara told the publication. "It taught me so much, portraying a character that a lot of folks had not seen on TV including myself. I will always have a soft tender place in my heart for that work family and that role. It was the role of a lifetime."
Sara continued: "I wouldn't be who I am today without the experience I had on Grey's Anatomy and my heart is completely open to going back and checking in with Dr. Callie Torres. But that would only happen if the writers' room and the story really organically led them to need a character like Callie to come back. They all know that I support them from afar and that I'm rooting for them."
For many viewers, Sara's portrayal of Callie was monumental in accurately and appropriately depicting a LGBT+ character of color on screen. Sara — who is Mexican-American, non-binary and bisexual — was able to incorporate aspects of their personal identity into the character.
In an interview with The New York Times, Sara discussed what it was like approaching creator/executive producer Shonda Rhimes about having Callie mirror a similar plotline to theirs in real life. Sara came out as bisexual in 2016 after they left Grey's.
"I knew I was bisexual from a younger age, from my teens, and it was an incremental discovery process," they told the outlet. "So living with that truth about myself was one thing; it was another thing to be working in television and slowly becoming more well known. So on the one hand, I felt a sense of pressure to come out publicly. On the other hand, I wondered if creatively I could have an impact by infusing the character I was playing with a more expansive sexuality."
What's more, Sara's advocacy for LGBT communities goes beyond their role of Callie. Over the years, they have worked as an activist for LGBT youth and are currently serving on the board of True Colors United. As AJLT fans know, Sara's work towards increasing LGBT representation on TV hasn't ended. In the Sex and the City reboot, they portray Miranda (Cynthia Nixon)'s love interest, Che Diaz, who is a non-binary podcast host and stand-up comedian.
As much as we would love to see Sara as Callie again, we are just as excited to see them in other important roles.
Katherine Tinsley is a pop culture and beauty-obsessed journalist who has worked with Live the Process, The Knockturnal and Dreamlette covering all things beauty, culture and lifestyle. Her work has allowed her to merge all of these interests into her writing and interview style.
