April Kepner’s road on Grey’s Anatomy has been long and tumultuous, and actor Sarah Drew has maneuvered the character through some murky waters with grace, strength and compassion. As someone who started out as a newcomer during the hospital merger, April has become a character that will leave a hole in the fabric of Grey’s Anatomy when she departs at the end of Season 14. In honor of everything she’s done for the show, below are some of April’s best moments on Grey’s Anatomyover the years that you may have forgotten about.
April’s character development has been knocked out of the park. When she first waltzed onto the show, she was a little annoying, a little misunderstood, and definitely not someone you’d expect to become one of the most compelling figures of the show. But Drew navigated April’s storylines with extraordinary talent, sucking viewers in and making them really care about her. “I think Sarah’s acting is one of the main reasons April is so loved by the fans now,” wrote one Reddit user, scully79. “She has so much range and subtlety that it makes you see April’s inner turmoil and all her emotions.” And in these moments below, Drew’s ability to steer April’s story really stand out.
The Stephanie-Jackson-April-Matthew Conflict
At the same time Jackson was dating Stephanie, April was gearing up to marry Matthew. This eventually lead to Jackson interrupting April and Matthew’s wedding, and April deciding to run off with him, leaving both Matthew and Stephanie in the dust.
When She Was Owen’s “Best Man”
A very pregnant April was in charge of holding onto Owen’s rings ahead of his and Amelia’s wedding ceremony, reminding fans how close those two became throughout the series and as they bonded over their shared military experiences. Despite the honor April had on Owen’s wedding day, let’s just say things didn’t go as planned. When she headed back to her house to find the rings, her water broke while only her and Ben were present. It was one of the most harrowing episodes, thanks in large part to Drew’s stunning performance as Ben pulled off an emergency C-section without any real medical equipment.
Though fans of Grey’s have known for a while now that Drew is leaving the show, it’s still hard to believe that April has gone through all of these storylines and struggles only to have her story cut short. April’s moments on Grey’s — whether they’re listed here or any of the many more she’s given viewers over the years — will likely go down as some of the most compelling performances TV has seen in recent history.