Five Fast Facts About Grey’s Anatomy Star Kelly McCreary

Kelly McCreary may be best known for playing Meredith Grey’s half-sister, Maggie Pierce, on Grey’s Anatomy, but the actress has been working in the industry for many years. Between movies, television, and her beloved theater, McCreary has truly done it all.

From the time she decided to quit acting to how she landed her role on Grey’s Anatomy, here are five fast facts you need to know about actress Kelly McCreary!

In The Beginning
McCreary was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which is where she developed her love of acting. She performed in school plays in middle school and high school. She decided to move to New York City for college and began working in theater at the same time. She also spent a semester at the British American Drama Academy in London.

Took A Time-Out
Following college, McCreary was having a hard time landing a role and was a bit disheartened by the acting industry. Because of this, she decided to learn Spanish and quit acting in order to move to Spain. While in Spain, she found work on a farm. But a play she had workshopped was finally going to start, so she moved back to New York.

Breakout Role
After years of theater and guest-starring on various television shows, McCreary finally got her big break when she was cast on The CW medical drama show, Emily Owens, M.D., which also co-starred future This Is Us star, Justin Hartley. She played another doctor — Tyra Dupre — but unfortunately, the show was cancelled after just one season.

Living In Shondaland
McCreary has her guest-starring role on Scandal to thank for snagging the role of Maggie Pierce on Grey’s Anatomy. McCreary was on Scandal back in Season 3 for just two episodes, but she did such a good job that Shonda Rhimes heard about her performance. Because of this, Rhimes put her on the list to play Maggie.

Love Where You Work
McCreary just tied the knot to her husband Pete Chatmon in May 2019. The couple initially met on the set of Grey’s Anatomy because Chatmon was directing an episode! The couple got engaged in January 2019 and the rest is history.