Okieriete Onaodowan wanted to leave “Station 19.” According to Deadline, Onaodowan actually asked to be let out of his contract during the previous season, although he graciously stayed on a little longer. Following the big episode, Onaodowan released a statement thanking the show’s higher-ups for his role. “It’s been a pleasure being Dean,” said Onaodowan. “I have Shonda Rhimes, Stacy McKee, Krista Vernoff, Paris Barclay and ABC to thank for allowing me to bring him to life.” He continued, “I am grateful I got to work with the most loving, kind and dedicated crew in network TV. And most importantly, thanks to the fans for showing Dean so much love. I hope he has inspired you to change your world for the better. Be the change!”
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Fortunately, Station 19 hasn’t exactly tanked in popularity or ratings since Onaodowan’s absence. But they definitely aren’t as great as they were when he was on the show. According to TV Series Finale, Station 19 averaged 4.469 million viewers during Season 5 — Onaodowan’s last season — while it only brought in about 3.860 million during Season 6. With that said, there’s no way to really know if Dean Miller’s decision to leave is the reason for the decline, though it definitely didn’t help the show’s bottom line.
