Actress Sarah Drew Went From Saving Lives on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ to Hallmark Channel Sweetheart — Here’s Her Story
Don't miss her in 'Branching Out', out Saturday, April 27 at 8/7c on Hallmark!
Perhaps you remember her as April Kepner on Grey’s Anatomy or for her role of Hannah Rogers in Everwood, but the red-headed starlet Sarah Drew has a long, illustrious resume that speaks for itself.
MUST-READ: ‘Everwood’ Cast Then and Now: Catch Up With the Beloved Stars Today!
Born and raised in Stony Brook, New York, the 43-year-old actress has been making a name for herself since 1997 when she began voicing the character of Stacey Rowe on the hit animated series Daria.
Stage roles came her way in the subsequent years: she played the role of Juliet in a production of Romeo & Juliet and later appeared in Vincent in Brixton on Broadway.
“It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do,” she said of acting in a 2020 interview with Glitter Magazine.
“My earliest memories involve acting in school plays or community theater. I think I realized it was possible for me to do this for a career when I booked my first professional show Romeo and Juliet at the McCarter theater when I was 20.”
After that, small roles on the screen came her way in films like Radio (2003) and television shows such as Wonderfalls before she was cast in the hit series Everwood as Hannah Rogers opposite Chris Pratt.
MUST-READ: Hilarious, Handsome & Talented: 15 Chris Pratt Movies We Can’t Get Enough Of
TV appearances, Grey’s and beyond
After her Everwood stint came to an end, you could find Sarah Drew taking on roles in TV show after TV show, including Cold Case, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Medium, Private Practice, Castle and Mad Men, to name a few.
However, it was in 2009 that she was cast in perhaps her most well known role of trauma surgeon April Kepner in Grey’s Anatomy.
“She changes so much. She grows and blossoms and goes through so many ups and downs and deals with pain and trauma and comes out fighting on the other side,” she told Entertainment Weekly in 2022 when her character made a return to the series.
“She went through the ringer and went through a lot of joy as well. And it’s really, really fun to play her. She’s just so fun.”
MUST-READ: 18 of the Most Memorable Grey’s Anatomy Cast Members Then and Now
Where is Sarah Drew today?
These days, you can see Sarah Drew in some of her recent roles in shows like Cruel Summer, Amber Brown, and films like Birthright Outlaw (2023) and How She Caught a Killer (2023).
However, Sarah Drew has started to make something of a home for herself somewhere else: on the Hallmark Channel.
The actress made her debut on the network in 2020’s Christmas in Vienna opposite Brennan Elliott and has continued to propagate her leading lady status.
MUST-READ: Brennan Elliott Is a Shining Hallmark Star: His 11 Most Swoon-Worthy Movies, Ranked
Her newest Hallmark movie, Branching Out, is set to premiere on Saturday, April 27, at 8/7c. Here, take a look at our favorite Hallmark movies starring Sarah Drew!
Sarah Drew Hallmark movies
Christmas in Vienna (2020)
Jess (Sarah Drew) is a talented violinist who has seemingly lost her passion for the craft. When she travels to Vienna to perform in a Christmas Eve concert, she meets diplomat Mark Olson (Brennan Elliott) and his three children.
The closer she becomes with the three kids she’s come to care for, the easier it becomes for her to reconnect with her passion — and she just might find love in the process.
“There’s honesty and vulnerability as well as a Sound of Music vibe to the whole film that really caught my attention,” she said to Glitter Magazine on the movie.
“I also grew up listening to classical music, so the idea of playing a concert violinist was a really appealing idea to me.”
One Summer (2021)
When Jack’s (Sam Page) wife unexpectedly passes away, he returns to the beach town in which she grew up with his two children. While there, he begins helping single mom Jenna (Sarah Drew) fix up her café.
As Jack focuses his attention on restoring an old lighthouse, he sees visions of his late wife that guide him toward the future he and his family deserve in the wake of loss and grief.
“I love Jenna because she’s a bright light,” Sarah Drew told Entertainment Tonight of her character. “Jack is in a place of darkness. His family has just been shattered by the tragedy of losing his wife and his kids losing their mom, and he’s in a very dark and sad place.”
She continued, “Jenna comes in with this breath of fresh air and with this cheerful disposition and outlook on life. But what’s great about Jenna is that her hope comes from lived suffering. It’s not that she’s just living in la-la land. She’s been through some really hard things herself, and she’s just further along in her journey than Jack is.”
Guiding Emily (2023)
When a tragic rock climbing incident leaves Emily (Sarah Drew) blind, she struggles to adjust to her new normal. Meanwhile, Garth, a guide dog, is also struggling as he endures the necessary training. When the pair find their way to one another, they take on all the things that come their way.
****BONUS****
Branching Out (2024) starring Sarah Drew
Amelia (Sarah Drew) had a baby through IVF ten years ago, and when her young daughter returns home with a family tree assignment, she finds hers missing a major chunk.
Through DNA testing, Amelia and her daughter track down her biological father (Juan Pablo Di Pace) to discover that he is a professional guitarist with a large Mexican family.
As the trio spend more time together, engaging in various traditions with their newfound bunch, love might just be on the horizon for everyone.
