Fans are already looking forward to meeting the new surgical interns in season 19 of Grey’s Anatomy. While Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) won’t be around much, it is always great to see new faces on the hit medical drama. The latest new face is Marla Gibbs of The Jeffersons fame. She is cast as Joyce Ward, the grandmother of one of the new residents. Read on to find out what we know about this addition to the cast for the 19th season of Grey’s Anatomy.
Cast of Grey’s Anatomy in season 19
We already know that Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) will pretty much be absent from the new season. This is because Pompeo is executive producing and starring in a great new Hulu limited series.
However, as we head closer to the premiere date of season 19 of Grey’s Anatomy, it seems creators haven’t stopped announcing new cast. First, we learned about five new surgical interns joining the cast, giving a feel of the original Grey’s Anatomy. More recently, we learned that fan-favorite Kate Walsh is returning to Grey Sloan Memorial as Dr. Addison Montgomery.
Marla Gibbs joins cast as Joyce Ward
The latest casting news according to Deadline is that Grey’s Anatomy will also include at least one family member of the new surgical interns. In fact, Marla Gibbs (The Jeffersons) will enjoy a multi-episode guest arc as Joyce Ward, grandmother to one of the new residents, Simone Griffith (Alexis Floyd).
Joyce, who lives in Seattle, will first appear in episodes 1902 and 1903. It should be noted that Floyd’s character was originally announced as Simone Griffin, but her surname has now been changed to Griffith.
To get to know her character, Griffith has been described as a “funny, whip-smart, high achiever with a complicated family dynamic. She grew up in Seattle but had no plans to work at Grey Sloan, due to a painful personal history with the hospital. Marla Gibb’s new character, Joyce, is sure to shed some light on both Simone’s difficult family history and her previous experience with Grey Sloan.
Fans of The Jeffersons will recall Gibbs in her role as Florence Johnston, for which she earned five Emmy nominations. Moreover, Marla reprised her role in 2019 on a special Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons.
However, she has also enjoyed guest arcs in Shondaland’s Station 19 and the drama Scandal. She has more recently enjoyed a major recurring role on the soapie Days Of Our Lives.
Readers, are you getting excited about the upcoming 19th season of Grey’s Anatomy which drops on ABC today, October 6, 2022? Let us know your thoughts by dropping a comment below.
