Original Cast Of Grey’s Anatomy: How Much Are They Worth Now?
Published on October 29, 2016. Updated August 29, 2019ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy has now been running for over 10 years and is now through 13 seasons! Over the years, the show has seen a rotating cast and continually shocks fans with major character deaths and exits with little warning. Although it has garnered a large legion of loyal fans, many maintain that its best years were with the original main cast who got the show up and running. Many have moved on, using the show as a launching point for their careers and others were fired from the show or left because of controversy, but regardless, very few of the original cast members remain. Being a major part of one of the biggest shows on television is bound to pay well, and it is always interesting to see if leaving a hit show actually helps an actor or actresses’s career. Check out how much the original cast of Grey’s Anatomy is worth now according to CelebrityNetWorth!
12. Sara Ramirez
Estimated Net Worth: $5 Million. Sara Ramirez has done very well for herself in the entertainment industry as both an actress and a singer-songwriter. Her theater and film careers took off around the same time and she appeared in several high profile shows and movies before landing the role of Dr. Callie Torres on Grey’s Anatomy, first appearing in the middle of season two. Aside from Grey’s, she has made a name for herself on Broadway and also lends her voice as Queen Miranda to the animated series Sofia the First. Since leaving Grey’s she landed herself a regular role on Madam Secretary and all together she has earned an estimated net worth of $5 million.
Photo by Broadimage/REX Shutterstock11. Kate Walsh
Estimated Net Worth: $20 Million. No Grey’s Anatomy fan can forget when Kate Walsh as Addison Shepherd swept into Seattle Grace in the season one episode “Who’s Zoomin’ Who?” She ended up continuing in the role for 59 episodes until 2012 and her character was so formidable she got her very own spin-off Private Practice. There is no denying that Walsh has had a very successful career with 65 acting credits to her name and an incredible estimated net worth of $20 million!
Photo by Jim Smeal/BEI/Shutterstock10. Isaiah Washington
Estimated Net Worth: $500 Thousand. Isaiah Washington was one of the true original cast members of Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Preston Burke and was involved in one of fans’ favorite romantic storylines with Sandra Oh’s Cristina Yang character. He was of course embroiled in controversy, which led to his dismissal from the show in 2007 after using a homophobic slur directed at his costar T.R. Knight who then publicly disclosed he is gay. He ended up being brought on to the show briefly in 2014 and has also starred on the new series The 100, and was also in many other movies and shows before Grey’s, adding up to an estimated worth of $500 thousand.
Photo by Picture Perfect/REX Shutterstock9. Eric Dane
Estimated Net Worth: $7 Million. Eric Dane also didn’t appear on the show until midway through season two, but both his prominence and popularity as Dr. Mark Sloan a.k.a “McSteamy” makes him worthy of this list. Dane had already quite the career before Grey’s, appearing in Roseanne, Gideon’s Crossing, Charmed, Las Vegas and X-Men: The Last Stand. In his early years on the show, Dane was making around $100,000 per episode, which most likely got bigger as his character became a staple on the show, and has helped get him to a very respectable net worth of $7 million.
Photo by Picture Perfect/REX Shutterstock8. T.R. Knight
Estimated Net Worth: $3 Million. After all these years, it is almost hard to remember the days when Cristina, Izzie, Alex, Meredith and George O’Malley (T.R. Knight) were residents at Seattle Grace. Knight’s character was one of the core group that made people fall in the love with the show and was his most notable on-camera role after first getting his start in theater. Playing O’Malley even earned Knight a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 2007 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and his death and exit from the show was one of the most painful for fans. Since his time on Grey’s, Knight starred in the 2013 film 42 and had a recurring role in The Good Wife in 2013, all adding up to a cool $3 million.
Photo by Broadimage / Rex Features7. Katherine Heigl
Estimated Net Worth: $30 Million. Before anyone knew Katherine Heigl as one of the worst actresses to work with in Hollywood, she was adored as Dr. Izzie Stevens on Grey’s Anatomy. Disputes with the show’s creator Shonda Rhimes as well as being a diva on set caused her to also be dismissed from the show. While she has earned a bad reputation, Heigl has also been in several high budget and high earning films, including Knocked Up, 27 Dresses, The Ugly Truth, New Year’s Eve, Killers and Life as We Know It. She reportedly demanded $12 million per film starting in 2010 and got it, creating herself a huge net worth of $30 million.
Photo by Broadimage/REX Shutterstock6. James Pickens Jr.
Estimated Net Worth: $3 Million. As Dr. Richard Webber, James Pickens Jr. (along with Ellen Pompeo, Justin Chambers and Chandra Wilson) is the only star of Grey’s Anatomy to appear in all 249 episodes. With 90 acting credits to his name, Pickens has done quite a bit of work to add up to his estimated net worth of $3 million. Over the years he has appeared in many shows and movies including Roseanne, Beverly Hills, 90210, The Practice, The X-Files, The Lyon’s Den and 42.
Photo by MediaPunch/REX Shutterstock5. Chandra Wilson
Estimated Net Worth: $10 Million. Chandra Wilson is without a doubt the unsung hero of Grey’s Anatomy as her character Dr. Miranda Bailey was a fan favorite right from the beginning. Back in 2007 it was reported that Wilson was making $125,000 per episode, so it can only be speculated that she has received a significant raise in later seasons, helping her to accumulate a $10 million net worth. Apart from her major Grey’s role, Wilson has had small parts in other TV shows as well as films and also appeared in several Broadway shows.
Photo by Broadimage/REX Shutterstock4. Justin Chambers
Estimated Net Worth: $18 Million. Justin Chambers began his career as a model and represented big name brands like Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana, and Armani before making the transition to acting. He has appeared in films such as The Wedding Planner, The Musketeer, The Zodiac and Lakeview Terrace; however, he is best known as Dr. Alex Karev on Grey’s and is one of four actors to appear in every single episode since it aired. He was also reported to be making $125,000 per episode in 2007, but that number is estimated to be closer to $300,000 or even more now, adding up to an $18 million net worth.
Photo by REX Shutterstock3. Sandra Oh
Estimated Net Worth: $25 Million. Canadian born actress Sandra Oh got her start in theatre productions before gaining notoriety in the Canadian film Double Happiness. From there she became a very respected actress appearing in The Princess Diaries, Arli$$, Sideways, Under the Tuscan Sun and ,of course, portraying Dr. Cristina Yang on Grey’s Anatomy. Oh won a Golden Globe in 2006 after the show’s first season for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, which quickly marked her as one of the main stars. As one of the lead actors along with Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo, Oh was making a hefty $275,000 up until season nine when she was then given a raise to $350,000 per episode, which she was making up until her character exited the show at the end of Season 10. She has returned to film work and television with Killing Eve, but can afford to be picky with an estimated net worth of $25 million.
Photo by Broadimage/REX2. Patrick Dempsey
Estimated Net Worth: $60 Million. Patrick Dempsey began acting in the ’80s and through the years has made himself known as one of Hollywood’s leading men, thanks in large part to his role as Dr. Derek Shepherd (McDreamy) on Grey’s Anatomy from season one to season 11. Over the years, he also starred in many romantic comedies including Sweet Home Alabama opposite Reese Witherspoon as well as Enchanted, Made of Honor and Valentine’s Day. It has been reported that Dempsey was making $400,000 an episode before his character was killed off and he made $16 million in earnings in 2014 alone. His high salaries along with his properties have earned Dempsey an incredible net worth of $60 million.
Photo by REX/MediaPunch1. Ellen Pompeo
Estimated Net Worth: $40 Million. Actress Ellen Pompeo has really only needed the one role of Dr. Meredith Grey to make her one of the most well known actresses on television as well as one of the highest paid. Prior to Grey’s Anatomy, Pompeo appeared in films such as Daredevil and Old School, but it seems Grey’s has earned her more than enough money. Pompeo was making a reported $350,000 per episode in later seasons; however, in 2018 she signed a massive $20 million deal which includes the actress earning $575,000 per episode along with a seven-figure signing bonus and two full backend equity points on the series which is estimated to bring her in another $6 to $7 million. For right now she has an estimated net worth of $40 million, but it is expected to actually be much higher.
Photo by Broadimage/REX Shutterstock