Anthony Hill Talks ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 21 and What’s Next For Winston [Interview]

Anthony Hill says Winston Ndugu is “finding his purpose” at Grey-Sloan Memorial Hospital this season on Grey’s Anatomy.

While initially being brought on to the series as a love interest for Maggie, Winston stayed in Seattle after she left, and he is now the Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery. With those changes, it sounds like there will be some interesting storylines for him in the coming episodes.

I recently had the chance to chat with Hill about his role as Winston on Grey’s Anatomy, the fascinating way he prepares for surgery scenes, and what we can expect from his character this season. 

To begin, Hill reflected a bit on what it was like joining the cast a few years ago. 

“I was very aware when I got here just how important to pop culture this show has been over the years and just how important these characters have been and have resonated in people’s lives,” Hill said.

“When I first came on the set, and I was walking around and just seeing all these landmark places in this hospital that’s been all over my TV for a bunch of years — it was a fan moment. So I was very aware of just how important the show has been and that it’s still going. And now, somehow, I found myself on it; it’s amazing. I’m happy to be a part of it and just hopefully add to some of the stories that have been important over the years.”

Hill shared that one of his favorite things about working on the show is learning about the medical world.

“Before I was on the show, I would hear things in the news, and I would maybe read something here and there, but now I go out of my way to make sure that I’m kind of in the know about what’s happening, especially in the field of cardiothoracic surgery and medicine,” Hill said.

“I think that’s a lot of fun, and it’s really interesting to me to know that there are real, actual heroic doctors out here doing these things every single day, and we’re just kind of portraying it in this kind of glamorized way.”

In fact, Hill has been known to prepare for surgery scenes by watching surgical procedures on YouTube.

“I mean, you’d be surprised. Everything’s on YouTube,” Hill laughed. “They really have all kinds of surgeries and all kinds of procedures just clickable on YouTube. And I watch them in detail, sometimes just to kind of see the morale in the room, what it’s like in an OR, and what they’re really talking about. Is there music playing? What does the level of professionalism do to the ambiance in that situation with this group of people? So I like to watch it for different reasons. Yeah, to see the procedure and to see the hand movements, but also to see the morale, the energy, the vibe, all of those things.”

“I’ve been lucky enough to go to a couple of surgeries as well,” he said. “I’ve just recognized how incredibly detailed and professional these surgeons are and how it can be kind of a routine situation because they are so skilled in what they’re doing on any given day.”

Hill also gave a few hints about what we can expect from Winston in the coming episodes. On the Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 premiere, Winston has a humble moment where he asks Richard to teach him about something he missed in surgery. Hill thinks this tells us a lot about the type of person — and the type of doctor — Winston is.

“I think that shows that as seasoned as Winston is, he really doesn’t hold a flame to the amount of years and surgeries that people like Dr. Webber have. It shows that he’s willing to take his hands off the reins and learn at any given moment. His ego isn’t overshadowing the fact that lives can be saved if he would be open to learning more about his profession,” Hill said.

“Winston says something about learning more about something outside of his specialty. He has very specific parameters, and so I think that says a lot about who he is as a doctor. He wants to learn all that he can, not only in cardiothoracic but in vascular, etc., so that he can be well-versed in the OR.”

“I think that speaks volumes about who he is, as a person, and as a man, to be able to put ego aside and say, ‘Hey, I missed the mark on this. Thank God you were there. Can you help me learn?'”  

Hill also said there could be more of an “in-depth storyline between Winston and Richard” in the coming episodes that would allow them to develop a more personal relationship, with Richard becoming more of a “father-figure type.”

“Winston obviously has drawn a short straw when it comes to fathers. So I think that that could be interesting to see if that were to develop. But I think that a friendship definitely is starting to develop there, and it’s starting to be, even with Maggie out of the picture, it’s starting to be something that is real, and honest, and meaningful to Winston.”

It looks like we’ll see some of that on Grey’s Anatomy Season 21 Episode 2, which will have Winston, Richard, and Lucas heading out for a game of golf together.

Hill explained that the three are working on a stressful case together on that episode, and Winston wants to get them all out of the hospital for a bit. “The guys take a guy’s trip out to the golf course. It’s actually really funny, and I think entertaining. It’s a strange trio, but I think that it’s an entertaining trio.”

With Maggie now living in Chicago and their divorce finalized, there will be a change in focus for Winston this season. “Winston was originally written just to be straightforward as a love interest,” Hill said. “But now that’s kind of evolved.”

Not only is Winston now the Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery, but he’s newly single and living in a city where he doesn’t know many people outside of the hospital. “I think friendships, male friendships, are going to be prioritized for Winston this season, and that’s something to look forward to,” Hill noted.

Of course, Hill and I also had to talk about what happened with Winston and Monica at the end of last season.

On the Grey’s Anatomy Season 20 finale, Winston bonded with Monica over his finalized divorce, and then the two wound up in bed together. While Hill couldn’t reveal much, he did say there will be some “memorable interactions” between Winston and Monica this season. 

“You will definitely see them on screen together. It’s definitely entertaining,” Hill shared. “I think now that the divorce has been finalized, and he’s kind of moving forward this season with his life — what does Winston alone in Seattle look like? I think he’s kind of enjoying his singleness a bit, and having some flings and some casual dating.”

Hill said Winston’s focus at work will be important as well.

“With work, it becomes finding his purpose at Grey-Sloan, getting into his flow as Chief of Cardio and no longer being the sidekick to his ex-wife at work,” Hill said.

“So there’s a lot that’s going to unfold this season, and it’s a lot of fun for me personally. I hope it’s gonna be fun to watch.”

Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 10/9c on ABC.

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