Station 19 Original Cast Okieriete Onaodowan Ends His Iconic Character As Dean Miller

One of the original cast members of “Station 19”, Dean Miller, has ended his journey following his injuries caused by a gas leak.

Dean Miller, played by Okieriete “Oak” Onaodawan, had a wonderful journey in the soap starting as an eligible bachelor following the birth of his daughter, Pruitt Arike Miller to reflecting the timely racial issues following the death of George Floyd, which brought the viewers in tears last Season 4.

In Season 5, a “Grey’s Anatomy” crossover episode–“Things We Lost in the Fire”, Dean Miller eternally left the soap when he was severely injured following a gas line explosion. He was still able to try rescuing residents in the first blast, but when the second blowup happened, he was taken to the Grey Sloan Memorial and didn’t make it up to the end.

‘Station 19’ Spoilers – On Screen Death

It was reported that before his on-screen death, Okieriete Onaodawan had spoken to the production regarding his plan to leave the show and it was being agreed that he still has to do several Season 5 episodes before ending his ride in “Station 19.”

As documented by Deadline, Krista Vernoff, the executive producer and showrunner of “Station 19” and “Grey’s Anatomy”, shared her sadness towards the end of Dean Miller’s story but expressed her support for Oak’s future endeavors.

“Oak has an expansive spirit and was ready for and craving new artistic horizons – and I truly can’t wait to see what he does next. It will be powerful, it will be deep, and it will be courageous because Oak is all of those things,” Vernoff said.

‘Station 19 Spoilers – Oak Onaodawan Claims Shonda Rhimes Have Changed His Life

Following his last episode of “Station 19”, the soap’s iconic Dean Miller extended his gratitude to the show and its production, claiming that the executive Shonda Rhimes has changed his life “for taking a chance” on him.

Oak Onaodawan thanked the rest of the team and the executives, Stacy McKee, Krista Vernoff, Paris Barclay, and the ABC network for giving him the chance to play as Dean Miller in “Station 19.” He also acknowledged the avid fans for their endless support.

“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!” Onaodawan said during his interview with Deadline.

Showrunner Shonda Rhimes posted a photo of her and Oak on Twitter saying: “What a pleasure it has been to go from watching you grace the Broadway stage to witnessing Dean in action on screen. Wishing you the very best!”