'Grey's Anatomy' Alum Claims Seeds are Planted for Spinoff With Fan-Favorite Co-Star

09/29/2022 08:05 pm EDT

Grey's Anatomy star Sarah Drew is still holding out hope that she could reunite with Jesse Williams for a spinoff involving their characters, Dr. April Kepner and Dr. Jackson Avery. Drew starred in Grey's from Seasons 6 through 14 but returned in Season 17 to help Williams wrap up his character's story. She was last seen in the 400th episode, which aired during Season 18. April and Jackson kissed in the elevator, confirming the former couple was back on.

"So many people ask me about a 'Japril' spinoff, and Jesse and I have both been very verbal about how much we would love to see something like that happen," Drew told Entertainment Tonight at the Variety Power of Women event on Wednesday. "We love working together. We love that relationship and any opportunity to get to see them onscreen together more, I think a lot of people would be happy about that." Drew added that they would be "happy with" working together more often.

Drew confirmed there are no plans in place for a "Japril" spinoff, as far as she knows. However, she thought the 400th episode left the door open for a new series. "When I came back for the 400th it was like three weeks before we started shooting. So you never know! That door is always open," she told ET.

This is not the first time Drew mentioned wanting to do a spinoff with Williams. Last year, during a discussion with reporters about how her appearance in Season 17 came to be, she said it would be "cool" to make a spinoff. "When I read the script, even just going on set to get my COVID test before we started shooting it, running into crew members and they were like, 'Oh, we thought this was a spinoff,'" Drew said in May 2021. "It feels like it's setting up for a really great journey. And I was like, 'I know.' How amazing and needed is a show about racial justice in the medical field and inequity and equality. How amazing would that be?"

Grey's Anatomy is about to face the biggest challenge in its nearly two-decade run: trying to survive without Ellen Pompeo. Although she will continue narrating the series as Dr. Meredith Grey, Pompeo will only appear in the first eight episodes of Season 19. A whole new group of interns is also checking in at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, so fans will have a new batch of characters to follow. Drew told ET this week she has full faith in the show continuing to succeed and Pompeo continuing to have a great career.

"I know that when I'm behind the camera and part of the creative process and producing and writing and directing, I am activated on all cylinders, on every level," she told ET. "And acting, you know, I get to dive into some piece of it, but getting to do all of the stuff it's so exciting, it's such an exhilarating ride. So yeah, I wish her the best. I think it's gonna be awesome."

Grey's Anatomy returns on ABC Thursday, Oct. 6 at 9 p.m. ET. The last few episodes of Season 18 will be available to stream for the rest of this week. Meanwhile, all 18 seasons are available on Netflix. 

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