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SPOILER ALERT: This interview accommodates spoilers for “If You Depart,” the Nov. 14 episode of ABC’s “Gray’s Anatomy.”

After eight seasons and greater than 130 episodes of “Gray’s Anatomy,” Dr. Levi Schmitt (Jake Borelli) has wrapped up his residency at Gray Sloan Memorial Hospital.

In Thursday’s episode of the venerable ABC medical drama, the affable physician formally bids farewell to his colleagues in Seattle to take a profitable medical analysis place in San Antonio, Texas, the place he intends to realize some much-needed expertise earlier than making use of for aggressive pediatric surgical procedure fellowships. However not desirous to sacrifice his private life in pursuit of his skilled ambitions, Schmitt asks his boyfriend, new hospital chaplain James (Michael Thomas Grant), to maneuver throughout the nation with him, declaring that he has fallen head over heels in love with him. By the tip of the hour, James, who assures Schmitt the sensation is mutual, quits his job, and the 2 lovers stroll off into the sundown collectively.

“Levi’s coming proper as much as the tip of his residency, so I believe a call wanted to be made in some unspecified time in the future about whether or not he really strikes into an attending (position) at Gray Sloan or if he has extra to study,” Borelli tells Selection. “I don’t know a lot concerning the internal workings behind the scenes and what individuals needed to shuffle round to make every little thing work. However as soon as that concept was pitched to me, Meg (Marinis), the showrunner, and I then began speaking about, ‘What can be the issues that we wish to see Levi accomplish earlier than he leaves Gray Sloan? How did Levi develop? What’s the bigger overarching story of Levi?’ After which we acquired to craft this actually lovely, very queer, very empowering ending for this character that we’ve all liked a lot.”

It’s a becoming sendoff for Borelli, who joined the present as a co-star in Season 14 earlier than being promoted to collection common a pair seasons later. Schmitt was initially identified to audiences as “Glasses,” a klutzy, squeamish sub-intern whose spectacles unintentionally dropped right into a affected person’s belly cavity throughout surgical procedure. However throughout his second season on “Gray’s,” Schmitt’s questioning of his personal sexuality ultimately resulted in his coming-out as the primary homosexual male collection common character within the present’s historical past.

“This function performed by me as a queer man is very large, as a result of there’s not many queer characters which can be performed by and championed by queer individuals. That’s a legacy that I’m tremendous, tremendous happy with and that I yearn to see extra of. I used to be a fan of this present for thus lengthy, and there was huge queer illustration with ‘Calzona,’” Borelli says, referring to the fan-favorite relationship between Sara Ramírez’s Callie Torres and Jessica Capshaw’s Arizona Robbins. “It was fantastic to see as a fan, however it by no means actually hit my expertise as a queer man. They’re vastly totally different. So when (former showrunner) Krista (Vernoff) actually championed this storyline and put her blood, sweat and tears into this and allowed me to do the identical, that was groundbreaking, and I’m so glad so many individuals noticed it.”

Schmitt could have left the constructing, however Borelli admits he’ll nonetheless be lurking within the halls of TV’s most well-known faux hospital in the intervening time. He’s nonetheless shadowing producing director Debbie Allen, with the aim of at some point returning to helm an episode of “Gray’s.” On this exit interview, Borelli opens up concerning the life-changing expertise of taking part in Schmitt, why he’s notably happy with his character’s evolution — and the way he sees the present panorama for queer actors amidst an more and more divisive and difficult sociopolitical local weather.

How a lot enter did you’ve got within the crafting of Levi’s exit?

Oh, fairly a bit. The writers, particularly with me as a queer actor taking part in a queer character, have been very beneficiant with their time, attempting to make this character genuine. So, from the get-go with Krista, I had an invite to come back into the writers’ room and specific the goals that I might have as a queer individual, by way of what I might wish to say via this character.

Even all the way in which as much as the tip, I used to be in Meg’s workplace together with her, typing on the pc together with her, attempting to determine, “What’s one of the best ways to finish this? What are the conversations he needs to be having with Jo? What’s essential on this homosexual relationship? How does this relationship differ from (Levi’s first love) Nico?” We actually centered on them having an excellent, straightforward communication type, which led to them navigating this good selection of whether or not or not they need to transfer throughout the nation collectively. So there was quite a lot of enter, and I’m actually grateful for that.

How would you say Levi has advanced within the eight seasons that you just’ve performed him, and the place do you assume we go away him by the tip of his last episode?

I really feel like Levi has taken a whole 180 in his confidence. He’s all the time been susceptible, however we’ve gotten to see over these eight seasons how being susceptible actually results in success and to sturdy relationships and an ethical compass that’s pointed him ahead. I like that we’ve gotten to see how the additional he steps into his queerness, the extra energy he really has in his personal life.

We watched him transfer from this bumbly, fumbly “Glasses” into Chief Resident, into probably getting an attending job at Gray Sloan, after which into having the braveness to say, “ what? Generally you gotta transfer out of your entire home and also you gotta do one thing totally different, and also you gotta take a step sideways with the intention to go ahead.” So now I’m simply excited to see, probably sooner or later, if he ever comes again, simply what these very brave choices led to in his life.

Levi took a very long time to declare his specialty — and he even took a short detour into turning into an OB/GYN — however he seems like he was all the time destined to finish up in pediatric surgical procedure. Why do you are feeling like that was in the end the fitting specialty for him? How did you make sense of his reasoning?

I do assume that OB was by no means going to occur. He didn’t actually have some other possibility, and we noticed that the second the intern program went again up once more, he jumped ship and went straight again to his surgical residency. So I believe he all the time wished to be a surgeon.

I believe simply coming to phrases with the truth that he does have an innate method to join with younger individuals and a capability to see them as who they’re, on account of his personal vulnerability — that was the catalyst for him wanting to enter PEDS. It was actually the catalyst for Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) to see that in him and to provide him that recommendation. After which simply from a narrative standpoint, I believe it’s so extremely highly effective to see a homosexual PEDS surgeon, to point out that queer individuals are simply as profitable with instructing and shepherding our new technology ahead. I believe that’s a phenomenal factor to see, so I do hope, down the street, “Gray’s” decides to inform that story a bit of extra in-depth. 

In his last scene, Levi seems up on the Gray Sloan signal, and all of his recollections instantly come dashing again to him. It’s actually a montage of your character’s biggest hits —

I haven’t even seen it but! I don’t even know what it’s. Within the script, it’s similar to, “LEVI’S MONTAGE.” So I get to tune in and I get to see it, and I’m very, very excited.

Trying again at Levi’s arc, what are you personally most happy with having achieved? Is there a specific storyline that may stick with you?

Levi has had this connection to blood all through the collection that I believe is so lovely, and it has grown with him. It began with him being scared of blood. It brought on him to faint. He didn’t just like the sight of it. It was counterintuitive to his need to be a surgeon. After which he turns into (known as) “Blood Financial institution.” He will get a brand new nickname as a result of he saves Judy Kemp (in Season 14), after which he’s very instrumental to find the golden blood for the child (in Season 15) who has solely seven individuals on this planet who can donate blood to him. After which that jumps ahead to, although Levi is a common blood donor, after he’s out of the closet, he can’t donate blood anymore as a result of he’s a homosexual man, which is a really archaic and bigoted remnant of the previous within the medical group. So preventing for that, getting to speak about HIV on a present this huge that’s seen everywhere in the world, getting to speak about PrEP was unbelievable. This throughline of blood for Levi, I believe, is gorgeous in hindsight and really cool. 

You’ve spoken up to now about the way you felt like your individual life usually paralleled Levi’s ultimately, largely since you share quite a lot of the identical traits. What have you ever realized about your self via the method of taking part in him?

I used to be thrust right into a vulnerability that I don’t know I might’ve chosen alone, by way of popping out on a worldwide stage. That’s not one thing that many individuals are afforded the chance to do. It’s scary, and it’s susceptible, however it has given me a a lot larger life than I ever would’ve dreamed of. I’ve been in a position to speak to so many extra individuals than I ever would’ve been in a position to earlier than. I’ve been in a position to actually step into the queer group and have the ability to inform a few of these tales that always go untold. In order I transfer ahead in my profession and as I transfer away from Levi, or probably come again to go to Levi, that may stay true for me; it’s discovering methods to inform these well-rounded queer tales. 

You’d been out in your private life for nearly a decade, however you selected to come back out publicly round this time six years in the past, when your character was present process his personal sexual awakening on “Gray’s.” Looking back, did you are feeling any trepidation about popping out publicly? How do you mirror on that call now?

Yeah, I had a lot trepidation. I virtually mentioned no to Krista when she mentioned that her plan was to have Levi come out. This was after a yr of being on the present and taking part in him not queer, for all I knew. I virtually mentioned no, as a result of I knew he can be the primary main homosexual male character within the present, and that may be huge for the present. I might then be compelled to speak about one thing that, at that time in my life, I wasn’t prepared to speak about on the worldwide stage, which you’ll by no means be ready for. However I did have all these fears that as an out homosexual individual, you couldn’t achieve success.

Look, we’re in a time proper now the place it’s even scarier, and being thrust out into the world as a queer individual, particularly on this time, is terrifying. However I wouldn’t have modified it for the world. The quantity of pleasure that got here from deciding to inform this story in an trustworthy and genuine approach is unparalleled, and my life has modified a lot for the higher after being genuine and susceptible with myself and, in flip, susceptible with different individuals. 

Earlier than Levi leaves for Texas, Jo (Camilla Luddington) asks him to be her and Hyperlink’s (Chris Carmack) twins’ godfather — a proposal he fortunately accepts. It’s humorous to consider how their relationship has advanced over time; again in Season 14, Jo felt so ashamed of her one-night stand with Levi, and now they’re having life-changing conversations with one another. What was it like so that you can shoot that last scene with Camilla?

I ought to add that it didn’t simply begin with Jo. This character wouldn’t have existed with out Camilla Luddington, as a result of she initially pitched this storyline of Jo sleeping with a brand new intern to Krista, and that it will be this dorky man that she finally ends up being embarrassed about. That’s why the character of Levi existed, after which it changed into this loopy factor. So I undoubtedly owe rather a lot to Camilla Luddington.

Over time, she and I’ve crafted one among my favourite friendships on the present ever — seeing these two very totally different characters bickering like siblings and seeing how a lot they love one another and the way a lot they’ve modified one another. So, that last scene was actually powerful for us. On the desk learn, there was not a dry eye within the room, and it paralleled what we have been going via as a result of we’ve develop into so shut over the past eight years, and our goodbye as characters was very near our goodbye as coworkers and as work pals. So, yeah, we didn’t actually must act a lot. We simply breathed, and no matter got here out … got here out. 

Did you get to maintain any props to commemorate your time on “Gray’s”?

I’ve a complete field of stuff! Debbie Allen got here via. She was stealing shit. I don’t even understand how she acquired among the stuff she acquired, however I’ve a field of stuff. I’ve my lab coat and my pink stethoscope, and Nicole, one among our set designers, printed out this lovely blueprint of Levi’s basement with the staircase that his mother fell down, so I’ve that and I’m going to hold it up in my home.

Going again to while you first landed this half in 2017, how lengthy did you assume this function would final? And the way would you examine your first and final days on set?

I used to be advised it was one episode. I don’t know if you understand a lot concerning the ranges on TV — collection regulars are the massive canines, then it’s visitor stars, after which it’s co-stars. Oftentimes, co-stars have one line. So this was a co-star function for one episode, with a potential look in a second episode, and it ended up being these two episodes. It was a beautiful expertise. It was the glasses falling within the physique cavity, it was sleeping with Jo, wreaking havoc on the hospital, after which he left. I went again to New York the place I used to be residing, and that was it. I made a pair thousand {dollars} and I used to be like, “I pays lease this month! That is nice!” After which it changed into eight years of life-changing tv for me. So, yeah, nobody knew what it was going to show into.

When it comes to the primary day to the final day, I’ve grown a lot with these individuals. They honestly are my household. I used to be so nervous at first. I used to be so scared of everybody. I used to be scared of Ellen Pompeo, Debbie Allen and Jesse Williams, and I used to be so nervous to be appearing subsequent to them. By the tip, Debbie and I walked out arm-in-arm to my clap-out after my final scene, and we acquired to share this second with the entire solid. Everybody confirmed up, and it was not annoying in any respect — very comfy, very loving.

And to be trustworthy, I haven’t even left but as a result of I nonetheless shadow Debbie Allen, our directing producer, and I’m shadowing Alison Liddi Brown proper now on set. I’m going to go there after this interview, so hopefully, at some point I’ll have the ability to direct and nonetheless hang-out them from behind the digital camera. 

You’ve talked about a number of instances about the way you hope to revisit Levi’s story in some unspecified time in the future, and now you’re speaking about returning to direct at some point. Does that imply the door is open so that you can return to “Gray’s” sooner fairly than later?

It’s tremendous open, truthfully. I’ve been shadowing for some time now, studying a lot, and we see on “Gray’s” that oftentimes the most effective administrators are the (actors) which have lived it too. Kevin McKidd directs a ton, Jesse Williams, Chandra Wilson — we all know this world so strongly, and Meg, Debbie and I’ve actually talked about it. Additionally, there’s this glorious alternative now that Levi’s in Texas to see sooner or later what that transfer actually did for him, how that transfer actually modified him. So I’m very hopeful that, sooner or later, we’ll see some extra of Levi and see how these massive, brave selections have actually affected him.

Past “Gray’s,” what’s subsequent for you?

Directing is a subsequent big step for me. There are a number of initiatives that I’m engaged on that I’m very excited to inform, however from a directing standpoint. I’ll be getting to inform queer tales that I essentially wouldn’t have the ability to inform from my very own physique — you understand what I imply? — however that I nonetheless get to inform via the artwork kind.

As you stay up for returning to auditioning for extra components, how do you are feeling just like the panorama for queer actors has modified since 2017? And what do you assume is the subsequent step on this evolving dialog about range and inclusion on the subject of queer tales?

I believe there’s actually extra content material round queer individuals. There’s actually extra well-rounded queer characters out within the mainstream media. I believe there’s a bit of little bit of a rollback as properly; we’re seeing quite a lot of queer characters (leaving), storylines ending, or full TV reveals which have very massive queer casts ending. I hope that that’s simply the pure turnover of tales, and I hope that executives, tastemakers and creatives actually bear in mind how profitable these tales have been and the way a lot they’ve affected our world and our lives. I believe one of many massive issues that I’ve seen that has actually supported that (shift) is a rising queerness within the inventive realm, by way of individuals behind the digital camera, administrators, writers, producers, as a result of when your setting displays the storyline that you just’re telling, it’s already extra genuine. So I believe these are steps that we will additionally proceed to take.

This interview has been edited and condensed.