Kevin McKidd Got Emotional After Filming His Final Grey’s Anatomy Episode — “It All Washed Over Me”

After spending nearly two decades at Grey Sloan Memorial, Six Four star Kevin McKidd says the emotional reality of leaving Grey’s Anatomy didn’t truly hit him until he was on a late-night flight back to Scotland.

The Season 22 finale, which aired on May 7, 2026, gave McKidd’s character Owen Hunt a powerful send-off. A devastating bridge collapse flooded the hospital with victims, left Owen trapped inside a sinking car, and ultimately ended with him reconciling with Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) — the couple deciding to start fresh in Paris together.

“It all sort of washed over me on that flight back to Scotland,” McKidd told PEOPLE.

Filming wrapped around 8 p.m., and McKidd was at LAX just hours later, boarding an international flight. The rush left no room to process the moment. “I literally left this massive shoot and this ending of this huge chapter of my life and got on a plane,” he said.

His final day on set, however, was anything but quiet. His children and partner Danielle Savre came to set. Cast members who weren’t even scheduled to work that day showed up just to say goodbye. “We had speeches and there was cake and gifts given and tears shed,” McKidd recalled. “People gave me letters and cards expressing what their time working with me has been.”

McKidd, who joined the ABC drama in 2008 and directed nearly 45 episodes — including the Season 22 finale — said being in full “director mode” all day kept his emotions locked up until that quiet flight.

The moment the Grey’s chapter closed, a new one opened immediately. McKidd flew straight to begin filming the Highlander reboot alongside Henry Cavill, Dave Bautista, and Russell Crowe in Scotland and Spain. “It sounds like the universe said, ‘Here’s your next chapter right on the doorstep,‘” he said.

On Owen Hunt’s legacy, McKidd was thoughtful. “He was never designed to be this cozy, lovely character that everybody adored,” he explained. “He was designed to create debate.” His final act — saving an entire family during the bridge disaster — symbolically healed the wound left by the platoon he lost in Iraq years ago. “You can heal,” McKidd said. “You can move forward and have a healthy life.”

Looking ahead, McKidd is expanding his UK-based production company Ferryman Films, recently partnered with STV, with several projects nearing green light. And while his run as a series regular is over, he made one thing clear — “Grey’s Anatomy will always be family.”