What happened to Justin Chambers from 'Grey's Anatomy?'

For no less than 16 seasons (or rather 15 and a half), he gave life to the character of Alex Karev on ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ Starring in such a smash hit was the role of a lifetime. But did you realize Justin Chambers has virtually disappeared from the spotlight since? Here's what happened.

After his shocking departure from the show, Justin Chambers has been relatively inactive. He stepped away from the acting world for two years and we’ve only seen him in one role since he hung up his pediatric surgeon’s coat from Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

After his hiatus, Michael Tolkin decided to cast him in 2022 for his miniseries ‘The Offer.’ It’s a 10-episode Paramount+ production about producer Al Ruddy and his challenges in filming ‘The Godfather’ with Francis Ford Coppola due to production difficulties and clashes with the Italian-American mafia.

In ‘The Offer,’ Justin Chambers steps into the shoes of the iconic actor Marlon Brando for four of the series’ ten episodes, reenacting the role of mafia boss Vito Corleone, a performance that won Brando an Oscar for Best Actor, which he famously ended up declining.

Photo: @officialjustinchambers / Instagram

Without concrete news, after his love affair with ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ ended, her told Page Six that he was “very excited” for the next chapter in his life, and hoped to produce documentaries.

During this time, he has also been recovering from health issues that many attribute to his departure from the series. Mental health issues took a toll on him, leading to his admission in 2019 to a luxurious rehabilitation center.

Page Six reported the statements of several sources close to the actor who attributed the end of the Karev-Chambers relationship to mental health issues and what was going on behind the scenes at the show. The actor or the ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ team have never confirmed or denied these reports.

According to Page Six, Justin was at Privé-Swiss, an exclusive mental health center that has treated other celebrities like Selena Gomez and Kit Harington for “stress and life coaching.”

This is not the first time Justin Chambers has suffered from mental health issues. He voluntarily admitted himself to the psychiatric wing of the UCLA Medical Center in 2008, when he was filming the fourth season of ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ according to People.

After two months “without really sleeping” he checked himself into the same center that had previously treated Britney Spears. Experts diagnosed him with a sleep disorder.

“I suffer from a biological sleep disorder. Your body is tired but your mind keeps working. You lie down and then get up and walk, and then lie down but you can’t sleep. You lie down and then you get up and pace, and then you lie down but you can’t fall asleep. “It’s like a dog chasing its tail. You get to your wits’ end,” he told People.

He managed to overcome that difficult health experience in his life by undergoing treatment with a series of medications that put him to sleep for two whole days. After that incident, he said he is vigilant of his health to avoid problems from getting so out of hand.

He has been married since 1993 to model Keisha Chambers, who he met during his modeling career. They have five children.

In Jan. 2023, he made headlines for a post he made on Instagram (@officialjustinchambers) which, for a moment, made many fans dream of his return to ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ It featured a takeaway coffee cup with an image of the series along with the phrase: “A fresh cup of Grey’s.”

Photo: @officialjustinchambers / Instagram

His acting career, which he juggled with modeling, began in 1995. His early roles in the soap ‘Four Corners’ (1998), ‘The Wedding Planner’ (2001) and ‘The Musketeer’ (2001) where he played D’Artagnan, are best remembered.

After that, in 2002, we saw him in supporting roles in smaller projects such as ‘Leo’ and ‘Hysterical Blindness.’ But these roles, along with his part as Chris Lassing in the first season of ‘Cold Case’ (2003), were the stepping stones to the greatest moment of his career.

In 2005, Shonda Rhimes chose him to play Alex Karev, a role that accompanied Justin Chambers for 15 years of his career. That was until 2020 when he announced in a statement to Variety that, after 358 episodes, he was leaving the series.

“There’s no good time to say goodbye to a show and character that’s defined so much of my life for the past 15 years. For some time now, however, I have hoped to diversify my acting roles and career choices. And, as I turn 50... now is that time," he said in a statement to People.

The character of Alex was not well received by the series’ fans due to his bad temper, but he gradually won them over with each season until he became a fundamental pillar of the plot, as Meredith Grey’s (Ellen Pompeo) confidante and because of his relationship with Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl).

In the middle of season 16, Chambers decided to stop playing Alex Karev and leave the show abruptly, which, according to Variety, caught both fans and the series’ team off guard. They scrambled to find a way to conclude his character’s story.

In the end, his departure, not without controversy among fans, was facilitated by a runaway plotline. Alex basically left everyone in the lurch and ran off to reunite with his first wife Izzie (Katherine Heigl) and raise their kid.

The series’ writers decided on this ending to avoid killing off the “sacred character” because, as showrunner Krista Vernoff explained to Variety, didn’t want to add to the “collective grief” of 2020. She said actors usually go into depression when playing sustained grief “because they have to run those chemicals through their system.”

During those years, only two films were added to the actor’s filmography, in both cases as a supporting actor: ‘Lakeview Terrace’ (2008) and ‘Broken City’ (2013). They were mere anecdotes amidst his long journey as Alex Karev.

In 2012, he had a role in 'Shameless' as an unnamed gangster. But be came back in a big way in 2022 in the miniseries 'The Offer,' where he played actor Marlon Brando.

During the Jan 2024 Emmy Awards, fans were rejoicing to see something of a mini reunion!! Yes, that's our man Chambers in the shaded glasses.

After ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ he’s only taken few roles, but according to Bustle, he made $375,000 per episode, so he’s probably not in financial trouble. But what now? Documentaries? New roles? A real reunion!? Time will tell.

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