Grey’s Anatomy: ER Fightmaster joins cast as show’s first ever non-binary doctor
ABC confirmed that Fightmaster’s Dr Kai Bartley as a recurring character on season 18
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Your support makes all the difference.ER Fightmaster’s Dr Kai Bartley has been confirmed as a recurring character on ABC’s doctor drama Grey’s Anatomy, now in its 18th season.
Variety first reported that Dr Bartley will go down in history as the hit show’s first non-binary character, portrayed by Fightmaster, who uses the pronouns they/them.
Their introduction comes after trans actor Alex Blue Davis was cast as the show’s first trans surgical resident Casey Parker, who appeared on seasons 14 through 16 of the show.
Viewers were first introduced to Dr Bartley in episode two of the ongoing season, when Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) is invited to join a well-funded Minnesota hospital’s research team working to cure Parkinson’s disease, led by Dr Alan Hamilton (Peter Gallagher).
Accompanied by Dr Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone), Meredith is introduced to Dr Bartley as a part of the research team.
ABC’s character description of Dr Kai Bartley reads: “They are dedicated to their craft and extremely talented at what they do.”
The description also suggests that Kai and Amelia will get closer over the course of the rest of the season, bonding over “their shared love of medicine and the brain”.
Twitter users are already excited about Fightmaster’s Dr Bartley and their near-instant spark with Dr Amelia.
One user wrote: “I am pretty sure Amelia is going to leave Link and end up with them by the end of season 18. Dr. Kai Bartley is so cool!”
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Given that Amelia recently rejected Dr Atticus “Link” Lincoln’s proposal, Dr Bartley’s entrance might be the beginning of a new on-screen pairing that has already received a big thumbs-up from fans of the show.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Fightmaster is an actor, producer and writer. They have a degree in women and gender studies from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois.
Notably, they have starred in American comedy Shrill, which aired in 2019, before being cast as Dr Bartley on Grey’s Anatomy.
The medical drama is currently on a break and resumes 11 November.