Grey’s Anatomy has been bringing meaningful and groundbreaking LGBTQ representation to households around the world since 2009 when they first introduced Callie and Arizona, or #Calzona, to fans. Since then, the ABC medical drama has continued to spotlight complex queer characters throughout its nearly 20 year run.
In season 14, fans were introduced to the lovable surgical resident Levi Schmitt, played by Jake Borelli. After becoming a series regular in season 16, Levi went on to become the first openly gay male series regular and the first LGBTQ main character since Calzona left the show.
After his character came out in the series, Borelli found the courage to come out publicly in real life.
His eight season run on the show was nothing short of iconic, from the drama of dating as a doctor to the goofiness of Levi’s glasses falling into a patient’s abdomen during surgery, Borelli is now ready to start the next chapter of his career.
Borelli spoke with GLAAD’s Tony Morrison about his departure from the series and the impact of his character.
Speaking about his undeniable connection to Levi, Borelli said: “I will always love Levi”
“He and I are so close, and watching him grow over the years, as a direct result of his willingness to be vulnerable and his willingness to move through the world in an authentic way, has been super inspiring.”
He”When I started Grey’s Anatomy, I was so nervous and excited. It was wild stepping onto such a huge, fast moving train. That fear and excitement was shared by Levi, who, at that point, was stepping into such an iconic hospital surrounded by doctors he looked up to and admired. As he grew at Grey-Sloan, I grew on the show as an actor and storyteller,” he continued.
Borelli talked a bit about Levi’s coming out journey, and how it later inspired his own. “Levi coming out in Season 15 sparked my own coming out process on a global level. Coming out publicly was one of the hardest and most terrifying things I’ve ever done, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. It has opened up my life in so many ways and allowed me to step fully into the queer community,” he shares. “I’ve been able to meet so many queer people who I never would have been able to meet before and it’s allowed me to form so many relationships that would not have been as authentic had I not have had the courage to step out of the closet. I’ll always be grateful to Levi for walking hand in hand with me through these last eight years of my life.”
Borelli talks about the impact he hopes his character has had on fans who have followed his journey over the years, “Levi’s vulnerability and courage to walk through life ‘heart first’ has been so incredible to see. I hope people gain some courage from watching him as well. We’ve seen so clearly how when you’re brave enough to fully be yourself, you start to make clearer decisions about what you want your life to look like, and things start falling into place in ways you never could have dreamed.”
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Borelli is hopeful that much like himself, viewers are able to see themselves in Levi. “I think it’s SO important for people to see such a well-rounded gay character like Levi on television, especially on a platform as wide as Grey’s, and what’s even more important is that we’ve seen him succeed over the years,” he told GLAAD.
He added “When you don’t have a model for success as you grow up, it is so much more daunting to even try. When I was a kid, there weren’t that many out queer people in power that I could look up to and say ‘That could be me one day’. It felt like there was more evidence telling me that, as a queer person, success was impossible. So if anything, I hope that people can look up to Levi, imagine themselves in positions of power, and say ‘That could be me one day.'”
Finally, Borelli offers some advice to up and coming LGBTQ actors, “Remember that what you are doing is SO important to people all around the world, especially queer people who feel voiceless. You’re giving them someone to look up to. You’re giving them an example of who they can be.”
He adds, “And during all that, as you figure out what it is you want to say and how you want to affect the world, remember that what you’re doing is courageous and vulnerable, and remember to take care of yourself too. It’s not only important to have queer representation in the media, it’s important for that representation to be authentically queer.”
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“From the actors playing these characters, to the writers writing them, to the creative’s who are sticking their necks out to continue telling these stories. That takes a lot of courage, so remember you’re not alone. I’m right there beside you,” he concludes.
Borelli’s final episode of Grey’s Anatomy premiered Thursday, November 14th on ABC and is available to stream on Hulu.
Catch new episodes Thursday nights at 10/9C on ABC and streaming on Hulu.