Chyler Leigh Is Still “Really Bummed About” Her Final ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Reunion With Eric Dane

Chyler Leigh is still mourning the loss of her former ‘Grey’s Anatomy‘ co-star Eric Dane, and while she looks back on their years together with fondness, one particular regret continues to linger.

Months after Dane’s death at age 53, Leigh recently reflected on their memorable return to the medical drama and revealed why she wishes things had gone differently during one of the show’s most emotional moments.

Chyler Leigh Opens Up About Her One Major Regret

In a dream sequence, Meredith imagined herself on a peaceful beach where she reunited with several loved ones from her past, including Lexie and Mark. The emotional scenes gave fans a chance to see the couple together again after so many years.

Related: Patrick Dempsey Remembers ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Co-star Eric Dane As “Wonderful Human Being” In Emotional Tribute

However, Leigh recently admitted that one part of the experience still disappoints her. Speaking to TV Insider, she revealed that she is still “really bummed about” not getting the chance to reunite with Dane in person while filming those scenes.

At the time, Leigh was working on Supergirl in Vancouver while Grey’s Anatomy was filming elsewhere. Because of the strict restrictions in place during the pandemic, traveling between productions was not an option for her. Explaining the situation, Leigh said, “We were filming all during Covid — actual Covid — and I was filming Supergirl in Vancouver. I couldn’t go down to be there because I would have had to quarantine [for] two weeks coming back into Vancouver.”

Since there was not enough time to leave one production and complete the required quarantine before returning to work, Leigh had to film her scenes alone using a green screen. Looking back, she wishes she could have shared the moment with Dane and Ellen Pompeo in person. “If there’s anything that I regret, it would be not having been able to do that,” Leigh shared.

The ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Reunion That Almost Happened

Even though the actors were not physically together, the reunion still became one of the most emotional moments in ‘Grey’s Anatomy‘ history. It brought viewers back to the tragic events of season 8, when Lexie and Mark’s love story came to a devastating end. Shortly after Mark confessed that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Lexie, both were involved in the deadly plane crash.

In case you missed it: ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star Patrick Dempsey Almost Played Another Iconic TV Doctor Before McDreamy

Lexie died in the season 8 finale while holding Mark’s hand and imagining the future they could have shared. Mark later died from his injuries in the season 9 premiere. During Meredith’s beach dream, she asked whether the two were finally together in the afterlife. Mark responded with the memorable line, “On your beach, it looks like we are.“

As Leigh reflected on her years working with Dane, she shared one of her favorite memories from their time on the show. She pointed to a scene from the complicated Jackson-Lexie-Mark love triangle and praised Dane for being an incredible scene partner.

“There’s one scene where Lexie is kind of choosing between Jackson and Mark. And he comes in and he just gives her this moment where you see Jackson in the background. And she really does have to choose,” Leigh recalled. “I don’t know what it is about kissing, but it was a really deep moment. And you just kind of see the sparkle leave her eyes, you know? That was so up and down.”

She added, “I could pick a million [memories]. He was a wonderful human being.” Dane died on Feb. 19 at the age of 53 after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a diagnosis he publicly revealed in 2025. Following his death, many co-stars and collaborators shared emotional tributes.

You might also like to read: ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star Kevin McKidd Finally Breaks Silence On Playing Arthur Weasley In HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Reboot