Lynn Chen added to 'Grey's Anatomy' cast as head of plastic surgery

Lynn Chen debuted as Dr. Michelle Lin in the 18th season premiere of Grey's Anatomy on Sept. 30 and returned for the current season's third episode in mid-October.

That was just the beginning.

Variety's Kate Aurthur exclusively reported Tuesday morning that Chen has been promoted from guest star to recurring character on Grey's:

"Viewers of the ABC medical drama have already been introduced to Dr. Lin this season, as the exacting new head of plastic surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. With surgeons at Grey Sloan quitting because of burnout from the pandemic, and the hospital’s younger doctors having fallen behind because of how COVID affected the surgery schedule, Dr. Lin nearly didn’t take the job when it was offered to her. But then program director Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.), fired up by her critique, vowed to get the students’ skills up to speed. 'Lin teaches by doing, and relies on the residents’ abilities to keep up with her,' reads ABC’s official description of the character."

Grey's previously added Scott Speedman as a series regular for this season. The longest-running prime-time medical drama ever then made history by casting E.R. Fightmaster as Dr. Kai Bartley, a move also exclusively reported by Variety last week, as Fightmaster represented "the first time a non-binary actor has played a doctor on the show."

Fans have been additionally treated to returns from Kate Burton and Kate Walsh reprising the late Dr. Ellis Grey and Dr. Addison Montgomery, respectively.

Pickens, Ellen Pompeo and Chandra Wilson are the only three original cast members to remain on the series from when Grey's premiered in 2005.

Grey's will return from a two-week hiatus with a new episode Nov. 11, beginning at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.