Justin Chambers didn’t mind getting killed off Accused since it allowed him to poke fun at his Grey’s Anatomy exit.
Chambers, 54, took to his Instagram Story on Wednesday, October 16, to share a scene from Fox’s anthology series, in which his character, Tyler, gets run over by a truck. “Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to Izzy’s [sic] eggs!” he wrote.
Accused, which aired a new episode on Tuesday, October 15, introduced Chambers as a driver with road rage who chased down April (Taylor Schilling) until his demise. April was then charged with his death as the episode revealed whether she was actually to blame for the incident.
“The most compelling direction I received [from the director of this episode] was to portray [Tyler] as if I were unaware of his impending death, and that perspective truly resonated with me,” Chambers exclusively told Us Weekly about the twist.
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But Chambers’ caption wasn’t about his guest spot on Accused. Instead, it appeared to be a reference to his fan-favorite Grey’s Anatomy character, Dr. Alex Karev. The actor appeared on the hit medical drama from its debut in 2005 until his departure after 16 seasons. His final episode showed Alex Karev leaving his wife Jo (Camilla Luddington) and Seattle to be with his first wife, Izzie (Katherine Heigl), on a farm in Kansas.
Chambers originally confirmed in 2020 that he would no longer be playing Alex to pursue other opportunities.
“What drew me in [with Accused] was the chance to play someone so different from Alex Karev,” Chambers told Us. “After years of being a familiar face as Karev, it felt exciting to step into a more complex, antagonistic role and show a different side of myself as an actor. Grey’s Anatomy has given me a freedom that many actors don’t often experience, and now I’m excited about exploring passion projects both within and outside of Hollywood.”
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Accused presented Chambers with an interesting challenge — playing an unlikeable character.
“When playing unsympathetic characters, I look for something human — some vulnerability or fear driving their actions. Even if the audience doesn’t see it right away, it helps me understand them better and makes the character feel more real,” he explained. “To get to that aggressive place with Tyler, I tapped into his frustrations and need to prove himself. Watching the final product, I was a bit surprised by how intense it looked, but it really showed how far he was pushed. It came together in a powerful way.”
Chambers noted he would “be open to returning” for another episode “in a heartbeat,” adding, “It felt like shooting a small film since each episode stands alone. Working on something where you know the ending — unlike some other projects — is really exciting. I believe people will look forward to fresh episodes and new story lines on Accused.”
Accused airs on Fox Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
