“Grey’s Anatomy” Casts James Wolk for Season 23 After Two Longtime Characters Exit Series

NEED TO KNOW

• James Wolk is joining the cast of Grey's Anatomy for season 23

• The Watchmen actor will play surgeon-turned-businessman Seth Norton

• Season 23 of the medical drama will premiere on ABC on Oct. 15

James Wolk is headed to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. 

The Watchmen actor, 41, has been cast in Grey's Anatomy 's upcoming season, as reported by Deadline . He will play Seth Norton, a surgeon-turned-businessman who owns Olympic Regent Health, "a luxury care medical center where patients pay out of pocket for elevated care."

Wolk will appear in at least four episodes of season 23 of the ABC medical drama, which premieres on Oct. 15, according to the outlet. He joins Ellen Pompeo , Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr. , Camilla Luddington , Caterina Scorsone , Jason George, Chris Carmack , Anthony Hill , Alexis Floyd , Harry Shum Jr. , Adelaide Kane, Niko Terho and Trevor Jackson . 

Ahead of season 22, which concluded on May 7, longtime cast members Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver announced they were leaving the show. 

" Grey's Anatomy has been a huge chapter of my life , creatively and personally, and I'm deeply grateful for everything the show has given me over the years," McKidd said in a statement to PEOPLE at the time. "Playing Dr. Owen Hunt and directing on the show have both shaped me enormously, and I've had the privilege of working with an extraordinary group of people throughout that time."

Raver reflected on her exit on Instagram , writing, "Playing Dr. Teddy Altman will always hold a dear and special place in my heart."

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In the season finale, Dr. Owen Hunt (McKidd) survived a near-death experience and realized his priority is to be with his ex-wife, Dr. Teddy Altman (Raver), who was recently offered a job in Paris. By the end of the episode, the two decided their time at Grey Sloan had come to an end.

Following the episode, McKidd spoke to PEOPLE about his emotional departure from the show , which he joined in 2008. 

"My kids came to set. My partner Danielle [Savre] came to set," he recalled. "Quite a few cast members who weren't shooting that day came out to see me because I think people realized it was a big moment. A big pivotal moment for the show."

"We had speeches, and there was cake at the end and gifts given and tears shed," McKidd said. "People gave me letters and cards expressing what their time working with me has been."

"It really meant a lot to me that people went out of their way to come and spend time with me that day," he added.

All 22 seasons of Grey's Anatomy are available to stream on Netflix and Hulu. Season 23 will premiere on ABC on Oct. 15, with episodes streaming on Hulu the following day.

Read the original article on People