09:47:43 (R.I.P.) With deep sorrow, We report the sad news of “Grey’s Anatomy” star ….
The Grey’s Anatomy Season 22 premiere was dedicated to Stephanie Leifer, a member of the Grey’s family who sadly died in June of cancer at age 56. “In memory of Stephanie Leifer,” the tribute card read at the end of the episode. Leifer was a valuable part of Grey’s Anatomy, though her work was behind the scenes.
Who Was Stephanie Leifer From Grey’s Anatomy?
Stephanie Leifer worked as a programming executive at ABC for 28 years before leaving in 2022. She last worked as the head of current programming at ABC Signature, the company that produces Grey’s Anatomy. She began her tenure at ABC in 1994 as an assistant in the network’s TV movie department before working her way up to positions in the current programming, drama development, and comedy development departments.
She served as senior vice president of comedy development from 2002-2006 before moving to ABC Studios. Leifer was involved with many hits at ABC as the head of current programming, overseeing shows including Lost, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, and Grey’s Anatomy, among others.
She worked for public television station WGBH-TV in Boston and at the Writers and Artists Agency in Los Angeles before joining ABC.
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“Stephanie was a beloved member of the Disney Entertainment Television family for nearly three decades, and our hearts are broken by the devastating news of her passing,” a spokesman for Disney Entertainment TV said in a statement following the news of her death.
Grey’s Anatomy executive producer and showrunner Meg Marinis, who wrote the Season 21 premiere, explained why they dedicated the episode to Leifer. “Stephanie Leifer was an incredible person and devoted champion of Grey’s. She truly believed in us from the early years all the way through and supported our creative vision,” Marinis told Deadline.
