Grey’s Anatomy season 17: Andrew DeLuca actor Giacomo Gianniotti reveals reaction to episode 7 shock

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Grey’s Anatomy fans are reeling over the death of a lead character.

The medical drama revealed the twist in Thursday’s episode (11 March) following a crossover with Station 19, which returned from its hiatus.

Appearing in the spin-off series was Giacomo Gianniotti, who has played Dr Andrew DeLuca in Grey’s Anatomy since joining the show for its 11th season in 2014.

The episode of Station 19 , which directly preceded the latest outing of Grey’s, saw Andrew follow a suspected human trafficker, which ended with him being stabbed.

Grey’s then tracked Andrew’s fellow doctors’ attempt to save his life, but he succumbed to his injuries.

In an interview with Deadline, Gianniotti reveals he was told he would be killed off after the first few episodes of season 17 aired in 2020.

Gianniotti said the idea of “saving all these children who potentially could’ve been trafficked… was a beautiful storyline” and “a beautiful way for the character to exit as a hero”.

Reflecting on his departure, the Italian-Canadian actor, 31, shared his initial reaction, adding: “I said ‘absolutely.’ I’ve been on the show for six years, seven seasons. It’s definitely been a long time, and I’m a young guy. So, I think this was a good time to depart.”

The show kicked off in dramatic fashion last year following the surprise return of Patrick Dempsey in a series of dream sequences.