Who plays callie torres

Sara Ramírez played Dr. Callie Torres, a bisexual woman, in 239 episodes of the long-running medical drama — making Callie the longest running LGBTQ character in TV history

Sara Ramírez is reflecting on their groundbreaking role on Grey's Anatomy.

Ramírez, 46, played Dr. Callie Torres, a bisexual woman, for 11 seasons. They appeared in 239 episodes of the long-running medical drama, making Callie the longest running LGBTQ character in TV history, according to Out Magazine.

During a recent interview with the publication, Ramírez said that the role not only had an impact on the LBGTQ community as a whole, but also their own self-understanding.

"Prior to Callie Torres, I'd never seen myself represented on television," they told Out. "There was so much I didn't know that I didn't know. So, I've caught up with myself in a lot of ways."

Ramírez exited Grey's Anatomy in 2016, last appearing in the season 12 finale.

While the Shonda Rhimes series marked the first time Ramírez made history on screen, it wouldn't be their last. They have since become a prominent advocate for LGBTQ rights and later portrayed the bisexual, non-binary role of Kat Sandoval in the CBS drama Madam Secretary.

RELATED: Sara Ramírez Joins the Cast of HBO Max's Sex and the City Revival as a Non-Binary Podcast Host

- Scott Garfield/getty

Scott Garfield/getty

Now, they are set to appear in the Sex and the City revival, And Just Like That, as Che Diaz — a non-binary, queer stand-up comedian and podcast host. The role will mark the first non-binary character in the SATC canon.

Ramírez told Out that they hope to continue taking roles that expand representation on screen, making sure that audiences of all ages can see themselves reflected in the characters they play.

"If we can spark fresh, new conversations in spaces that normally would not be engaging in those conversations, I think that visibility can change how we view ourselves and the world," they said.

HBO Max announced that Ramírez was joining And Just Like That in May.

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"Che is a big presence with a big heart whose outrageous sense of humor and progressive, human overview of gender roles has made them and their podcast very popular," the character description reads.

"Everyone at 'And Just Like That…' is beyond thrilled that a dynamically talented actor such as Sara Ramírez has joined the 'Sex and the City' family," executive producer Michael Patrick King said in a release. "Sara is a one-of-a-kind talent, equally at home with comedy and drama – and we feel excited and inspired to create this new character for the show."

Sara Ramírez played Dr. Callie Torres in 239 episodes of the ABC medical drama, making Callie the longest-running LGBTQ character in TV history

Sara Ramírez is reflecting on their game-changing character on Grey's Anatomy.

On Wednesday, Ramírez, 46, opened up about their experience playing Dr. Callie Torres, a bisexual woman and orthopedic surgeon, in 239 episodes of the ABC medical drama — making Callie the longest-running LGBTQ character in TV history.

In a recent interview with Variety, Ramírez, who came out as non-binary in 2020 and uses the pronouns they/them, recalled the moment they approached creator Shonda Rhimes with the fresh idea of introducing Callie as bisexual.

"I wanted to pursue a storyline where Callie would discover that she was attracted to women, as well as men," Ramírez told the publication.

Rhimes was quick to jump on board with the idea. "She knew I was bi," Ramírez recalled.

And so, Callie came out as bisexual on the series in 2009. At the time, Ramírez says they knew they were bisexual themselves, but weren't ready to come out publicly.

"I was really afraid it would hurt my career if I came out as bisexual," Ramírez told PEOPLE in December. "I was very aware of the bi[sexual] antagonism that exists. But I'm really proud of what we put out in the world. It was definitely disrupting a narrative."

- Danny Feld/ABC

Danny Feld/ABC

RELATED: Sara Ramírez Joins the Cast of HBO Max's Sex and the City Revival as a Non-Binary Podcast Host

After a brief marriage to Dr. George O'Malley, Callie went on to marry Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw) on the show. The relationship proved to be extremely impactful.

During an interview with Out Magazine last year, Ramírez said the role not only had an impact on the LBGTQ community as a whole, but also their own self-understanding.

"Prior to Callie Torres, I'd never seen myself represented on television," Ramírez told the outlet. "There was so much I didn't know that I didn't know. So, I've caught up with myself in a lot of ways."

Speaking with Variety, showrunner Krista Vernoff expressed similar sentiments about Callie.

"I don't think it can be overstated what the social impact of Callie's bisexuality was on the culture at large," Vernoff said. "Bisexuality was almost invisible on TV at that point. I personally have two kids who have come out as bisexual, and I don't think it's disconnected from Callie and Sara publicly coming out."

RELATED: And Just Like That... Season 2 Will Have 'More' Che Even Though Creator Says Fans Were 'Blinded [by] Terror'

Though Ramírez exited Grey's Anatomy in 2016, and last appeared in the season 12 finale, they said they're open to a Grey's return in the future.

"It taught me so much, portraying a character that a lot of folks had not seen on TV including myself," Ramírez told PEOPLE in December. "I will always have a soft tender place in my heart for that work family and that role. It was the role of a lifetime."

"I wouldn't be who I am today without the experience I had on Grey's Anatomy and my heart is completely open to going back and checking in with Dr. Callie Torres," Ramírez added. "But that would only happen if the writers' room and the story really organically led them to need a character like Callie to come back. They all know that I support them from afar and that I'm rooting for them."

Grey's Anatomy is not the first time Ramírez has broken boundaries with their character. They also starred as Che Diaz, an outspoken, non-binary podcast host and stand-up comic on the Sex and the City revival series, And Just Like That..., who ends up being (spoiler alert!) Miranda Hobbes' love interest.

Sara Ramirez has been cast in Sex and the City revival And Just Like That. Photo: @instylegermany/Instagram

If given the chance, Sara Ramirez would most certainly return to Grey's Anatomy and reprise their role of Dr. Callie Torres.

Ahead of the And Just Like That season one finale, Sara opened up about their time on the hit ABC medical drama in which they portrayed an orthopedic surgeon for 10 seasons. As fans know, their character joined the popular TV series in February 2006 for season 2 and later, exited at the end of season 12 in May 2016. Speaking with People, they reflected on what it was like working on Grey's and how it impacted their lives on and off-screen.

"Being part of the Shondaland family was one of the greatest honors of my life, one of the greatest privileges," Sara told the publication. "It taught me so much, portraying a character that a lot of folks had not seen on TV including myself. I will always have a soft tender place in my heart for that work family and that role. It was the role of a lifetime."

Richard CartwrightGetty Images

Sara continued: "I wouldn't be who I am today without the experience I had on Grey's Anatomy and my heart is completely open to going back and checking in with Dr. Callie Torres. But that would only happen if the writers' room and the story really organically led them to need a character like Callie to come back. They all know that I support them from afar and that I'm rooting for them."

For many viewers, Sara's portrayal of Callie was monumental in accurately and appropriately depicting a LGBT+ character of color on screen. Sara — who is Mexican-American, non-binary and bisexual — was able to incorporate aspects of their personal identity into the character.

In an interview with The New York Times, Sara discussed what it was like approaching creator/executive producer Shonda Rhimes about having Callie mirror a similar plotline to theirs in real life. Sara came out as bisexual in 2016 after they left Grey's.

Jason Howard/Bauer-GriffinGetty Images

"I knew I was bisexual from a younger age, from my teens, and it was an incremental discovery process," they told the outlet. "So living with that truth about myself was one thing; it was another thing to be working in television and slowly becoming more well known. So on the one hand, I felt a sense of pressure to come out publicly. On the other hand, I wondered if creatively I could have an impact by infusing the character I was playing with a more expansive sexuality."

What's more, Sara's advocacy for LGBT communities goes beyond their role of Callie. Over the years, they have worked as an activist for LGBT youth and are currently serving on the board of True Colors United. As AJLT fans know, Sara's work towards increasing LGBT representation on TV hasn't ended. In the Sex and the City reboot, they portray Miranda (Cynthia Nixon)'s love interest, Che Diaz, who is a non-binary podcast host and stand-up comedian.

As much as we would love to see Sara as Callie again, we are just as excited to see them in other important roles.