Grey’s Anatomy star Richard Flood has landed a role in a new Irish drama.
The actor is set to star in a brand new RTÉ series called The Gone alongside Acushla-Tara Kupe, which will be filmed in New Zealand and Ireland.
Richard will take on the role of Theo Richter, an Irish detective who teams with police officer Diana Huia to find a young Irish couple who vanished from a rural New Zealand town.
RTÉ’s Director of Acquisitions and Co-Productions Dermot Horan said: “It promises to be a cracking drama and one which will hopefully have viewers glued to their seats both in Ireland and New Zealand.”
“We are particularly happy to be working with our fellow national broadcaster, TVNZ and with Red Arrow, who will be distributing this high-end drama to international broadcasters and platforms.”
The news comes after Richard announced his departure from Grey’s Anatomy back in March, after three years on the show.
Richard joined the show as Dr Cormac Hayes during season 16, and fans were hoping to see a romance blossom between his character and the show’s lead Meredith Grey.
Sadly, fans never got to see their romance play out as the show’s storyline changed direction once the pandemic hit.
Speaking to Deadline about his departure from Grey’s Anatomy, Richard said it felt like the “right time” to leave.
He explained: “I didn’t know until closer to when we were shooting how it would actually happen but there’s been a few conversations during the summer as far as the season would unfold…”
“And then during the season there were more conversations about what might be good [for the show] and what might be good for me.”
“Having three years on the show felt right for me, and I think that the arc of the character with all the developments in the story was probably coming to its natural end, which was great. I was very happy that everybody felt the same, and they just got to it.”
When asked if he had “mixed emotions” about leaving, he said: “Honestly, I was very happy. I felt it was the right time. When I started, I always through that three years on something was really as much as I’d like to do.”
“I’m always eager to see what else is out there and try and stretch myself in different directions and do different types of TV and film. Three years was perfect for me, so I was very happy.”
Showrunner Krista Vernoff also praised Richard for his time on the show, and said: “He is a terrific talent. We are grateful for his nuanced and poignant work as Cormac Hayes. Like Hayes at Grey Sloan, he will be missed.”
When asked what’s next for him career-wise, Richard said at the time: “There are a few things percolating but as we say, there’s many a slip between cup and lip, so I never like to talk about future projects unless they’re stamped and we’re ready to shoot, but there are things coming up, some very interesting things.”
“I’m looking for something, obviously, quite different from what I’ve been doing for the last three years, and I’m also moving in a direction that, I’ve written my own, my first series, and that’s being put together at the moment, which is really, really exciting.”
“It’s a series all set in Italy, where I’ve been living for a long time, so that’s very exciting. It’s a really properly international show, so we’re hoping that that will come together, and it’s looking good, so lots of exciting options in the future, it’s just which happens first, as usual.”
