Guest Stars News (Page 4)

In guest star news, actress Mary McDonnell of Battlestar Galactica is said to be in talks to appear in a multi-episode story arc on Grey’s Anatomy in Season Five.

Arepresentative for the medical drama confirmed this Monday. Grey's Anatomy is currently shooting its tenth episode, and if contracts are signed soon, as is expected, we assume Mary McDonnell will be in action, shooting scenes with the cast of the show shortly.

Given that McDonnell’s episodes fall in the middle of the Grey’s Anatomy season, it’s not known whether they will air before or after the December break.

Seattle Grace will be getting a couple of new interns in the fifth season of Grey's Anatomy. Entertainment Weekly reports that The L Word alumna Janina Gavankar will play a role in the series, as will Cold Case actor Brandon Scott.

Gavankar is most notable for her role as Papi, a promiscuous lesbian in The L Word. While Papi vanished after the third season without explanation, she is confirmed to appear in the sixth and final season of the lesbian show.

While "nothing's been decided yet," producers are still considering on how big the roles they will play on Grey's Anatomy. Thus, they will begin as recurring players. Scott, allegedly will portray a character deemed "junior McDreamy."

What's new on the Cristina Yang romance front? According to E! Online, there appearance of new guest star Kevin McKidd has been confirmed:

Q: Any new gossip on the new addition to Grey's Anatomy, Kevin McKidd?
A: If you've seen the latest Grey's Anatomy promo (yes, the one where Rose lies and we all freaked) there's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it tease of McKidd and Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh). Those two are so on, and I'm liking it!

Dr. Bailey and the gang — but mainly Bailey — will have their hands full in the two-hour Grey's Anatomy Season Five premiere, TV Guide reports.

Why? A trio of gal pals of a certain age descends on Seattle Grace.

In the September 25 episode, Bernadette Peters, Mariette Hartley and Kathy Baker will guest star as friends who each require the hospital's care.

This comes the very same night that Jeffrey Dean Morgan reprises his role of Denny Duquette, although our guess is that is a separate story line.

Popular guest star Jeffrey Dean Morgan is on his way back to Grey's Anatomy. That much has been confirmed - but when, why, and how?

Is Grey's Anatomy really going to kill Izzie, as has been rumored frequently, with Denny resurfacing to welcome her to the afterlife? Not likely.

For starters, at least one inside source says there are no plans to off Izzie as a means of punishing outspoken cast member Katherine Heigl.

Second, Morgan already filmed his scenes, which are to air in the season premiere, so the timing is wrong for this stunning development.

But ABC Entertainment chief Steve McPherson issued vague denials of a plan to eliminate Izzie, and another insider says that the rumored brain tumor contracted by Dr. Stevens was indeed the plan for Heigl's character in Season Five.

After her diagnosis, Izzie was to see “visions” of Denny.

Of course, if that was (or is) the plan, Shonda Rhimes may change it since the word is out. She’s not a fan of Grey's Anatomy spoilers (with the exception of her giving away the Mer-Der reunion at the end of Season 4 weeks beforehand).

A few seasons back, E! Online reported that Cristina Yang was to have a lesbian storyline. That plan? Scrapped, then revamped (much) later in the form of Callica.

The conclusion is that we're stumped. Morgan's casting confirmation lends credence to the notion that the brain tumor plot could still happen, but the reports we're hearing the subject are conflicting and far from set in stone.

What do you think of Jeffrey Dean Morgan returning to Grey’s Anatomy - and is the brain tumor a good idea? Tell us what you think - and hope.

Could another hot doctor be scrubbing in at Seattle Grace in Season Five?

It looks possible, as Kevin McKidd, a Scottish actor who headlined last year's time-traveling drama Journeyman, is in serious talks to join the cast.

He'd play an M.D. who comes to the hospital after a stint in Iraq. It's expected to be a relatively long Grey's Anatomy story arc for Kevin McKidd, who also played the soldier Lucius Vorenus in HBO's short-lived series Rome.

It's not a spin-off starring Ava / Rebecca / Jane Doe, but Elizabeth Reaser, one of Grey's Anatomy's many memorable guest stars, will play the lead role!

The show, entitled Mythological X, is about about a woman who discovers (via a psychic) that she's already dated and dumped the man she is destined to marry.

The series, if it gets the green light from execs, will zoom in on Elizabeth Reaser's character (named Annabel) going backwards through dating timeline.

Mythological X will air on Fox should the pilot get picked up. Right now, it's only in the "sell, sell, sell" stage of TV production. Hopefuly it works out!

Amy Madigan (Gone Baby Gone, Twice in a Lifetime) has reportedly been cast in a recurring role on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, according to Entertainment Weekly.

The actress, nominated for an Oscar for her role in Lifetime, will appear in all five new episodes (Grey's Anatomy returns April 24) as a psychiatrist at Seattle Grace.

Add Amy Madigan to the list of high-profile guest stars (key characters are played by Lauren Stamile and Elizabeth Reaser, plus former star Kate Walsh) to be appearing on Grey's Anatomy as the series returns from its strike-induced absence.

It appears Joshua Jackson's Grey's Anatomy guest starring turn has ended before it began, and once again, the writers' strike is to blame.

Michael Ausiello of TV Guide has the scoop, and as he puts it:

"Grey's Anatomy announced last fall that the ex-Dawson's Creek-er would be joining the cast for a multi-episode arc as a doctor and, as I would later report, a love interest for Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh). Unfortunately, just weeks before he was scheduled to shoot his first episode, the writers went on strike and Joshua Jackson's stint, just like the TV biz itself, was put on hold."

Cut to present day: The strike is over, Grey's Anatomy is headed back into production (due back April 24) but Jackson is no longer available.

During the work stoppage, J.J. Abrams hand-picked the actor to headline his new X-Files style Fox series, Fringe, which is currently in production in Toronto (and will be through mid-March). Although an attempt was made to make scheduling work for Josh Jackson to do both, the logistics proved too daunting in the end.

Now Grey's Anatomy is forced to either recast the role or scrap it.

An ABC spokesperson declined to comment, but a Seattle Grace insider says a final decision will likely be made in the coming days.

Any suggestions for a Josh Jackson replacement? Who would be a great new love interest for Cristina? Much as many of us surely (and understandably) want to throw out the name Isaiah Washington, let's focus on new ideas...

Kristin Veitch of E! Online reports today that, pending the official end to the writers' strike (which is all but over as of today, the Los Angeles Times says), Grey's Anatomy will indeed restart the suspended production on Season Four.

This burst of production expected to produce a handful of new episodes (as many as five, TV Guide first reported) to air in April and May, Kristin writes - and Joshua Jackson is expected to finally fulfill guest star duties as Cristina's love interest!

Grey's Anatomy fans hoping for a guest appearance by Josh Jackson this season may still get their wish as the writers' strike ends, according to recent reports!