TheGrey’s Anatomyteam relied on some Hollywood magic for its latest episode.
On Thursday night’s installment of the long-running ABC medical drama,Chyler Leighreturned as Lexie Grey alongsideEric Dane, who reprised his role as Lexie’s love interest, Mark Sloan.
Appearing together during the show’s beach storyline — which centers aroundEllen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey as she battlesCOVID-19— Dane, 48, revealed in an interview withThe Hollywood Reporterthat some behind-the-scenes work was needed to make the moment happen, as Leigh, 38, was filmingSupergirlin Vancouver and couldn’t be on the set with the others.
“Chyler was in Vancouver. So we had to work some magic,” Dane told the outlet. “There was some green screen.”
Unlike his formerGrey’slove interest, Dane did film with Pompeo in person in Malibu, California. “There was a lot of me and Ellen,” he toldTHR.
ABC

Some fans of the series were a bit unsure about the show’s use of green screen to bring the character back to the series.
“Y’all know damn well Chyler is in front of a green screen stop playing with me lmfao Lexie is pretty tho,” one fantweetedas anotheradded, “the fact that lexie was just a green screen makes me sad:(.”
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Other fans were just thrilled to see the character return, no matter in what capacity.
“It’s a shame Lexie had to film her scenes on green screen due to being in Vancouver onSupergirlbut I’m so happy she’s back,” one fansaid.
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Dane and Leigh become the latest former stars to return toGrey’s Anatomythis season, joiningPatrick DempseyandT.R. Knight, who reprised their roles of Derek Shepard and George O’Malley, respectively.
The pair returned to the show for the first time since the series' 2012 season eight finale, when both tragically died as a result of a plane crash. Around that time, Dane announced he would be leavingGrey’safter a successful six-season run.
Grey’s Anatomyairs Thursdays (9 p.m. ET) on ABC.
source: people.com