Grey's Anatomy has introduced a striking array of primary characters, allowing fans to fall head over heels with the staff at Grey Sloan. The show also does a fantastic job of writing secondary characters, making sure that they're also included in a number of gripping storylines. As such, over the past 20 years, Grey's Anatomy has encouraged every character to tell their story in the most alluring and dramatic way possible.
Daniel Sunjata's Eli Lloyd is a prime example of a successful secondary character, as his charm and good looks often made him a popular hit with fellow staff members and fans. He had a romantic entanglement with a fellow staff member, creating one of Grey's Anatomy's most enticing love triangles. So, how does Daniel Sunjata's character evolve over the course of the show, and why did he decide to leave the medical drama so abruptly?
Who is Daniel Sunjata in Grey's Anatomy?
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Daniel Sunjata is best recognized by Grey's Anatomy fans for playing Nurse Eli Lloyd, a sweet-talking nurse who wasn't afraid to stand his ground. Sunjata made his first appearance in this role in Season 7, Episode 10, "Adrift and at Peace." Here, he butts heads with Lexie Grey, creating an immense amount of tension for fans to revel in. In this episode, Lloyd was keen to override Grey's order to send a patient's pancreatic fluid sample to the lab. The nurse believes that it's best to let the patient rest and recover first after a bad night's sleep. This conflict continues to bubble under the surface until Nurse Eli explains that he has 12 years of experience at Seattle Grace and sees the patients like family members. As such, even from his first appearance on the show, it's apparent that Nurse Eli isn't too keen on being pushed around. Not only does this conflict give the audience more insight into his character, but it also works to highlight the tremendous influence that nurses have on the hospital, even if they aren't involved as much as fans think.
Another example of Eli's highly determined and passionate nature is evident in Season 7, Episode 17, "This is How We Do It." This time, the nurse was keen to overlook Miranda Bailey's order and focus entirely on his patient's well-being. Eli was concerned about Clara Greene, a diabetic patient who was experiencing a slow recovery after having a tumor removed. Bailey was quick to put Lloyd back in his place and assert to him that Greene was not his patient so he should not be asking questions about her. Although many fans could see where Bailey was coming from, others argue that this confrontation only works to emphasize Nurse Eli's incredible work ethic. So, although he can sometimes come across as a tad arrogant and argumentative, it's evident that he only acts this way because he cares so much about his patients.
Although he tended to bicker with his superior, Miranda Bailey, quite a bit, Lloyd never hid the fact that he had feelings for her. In Season 7, Episode 13, "Start Me Up," it appears that Nurse Eli would place flirty notes in Miranda Bailey's chart to help display his attraction towards her. Though many fans see them as a deeply unsuitable pair, it's hard to deny that this gesture is extremely cute. Bailey's relationship with Lloyd also helps her to fit in with the rest of the staff. During this time, Lexie allows her relationship to blossom with Jackson and Teddy is in a very confusing love triangle with Andrew and Henry. As such, it's quite nice to see Bailey get a bit of attention too. After splitting up with her husband, Tucker Jones, many fans felt sorry for this strong doctor and believed that she deserved a second chance at love.
In Season 7, Episode 22, "Unaccompanied Minor," they take their relationship to the next level, and Bailey allows the nurse to meet her son, Tuck. Long-time fans of the show will remember how emotional this episode is as it centers around a recent plane crash. Bailey reveals that she had been on the same flight as it came into Baltimore, causing her to feel a ton of anxiety and sadness. At first, Eli invited her back to his house, but Miranda declined because she had to look after her son. The nurse then explained that the pair were in a relationship, so it only made sense that he could meet her son and look after her during this troubling time. Again, this helps to show a new side to the nurse. Dr. Bailey is often forced to look after everyone else, whether it's her family, patients, or even other staff members. So, for many viewers, it was a chance to see Miranda being cared for and helped to change their perception of Nurse Eli.
Why Did Daniel Sunjata Leave Grey's Anatomy?
At first glance, Nurse Eli's time at Seattle Grace seemed to be going well. He didn't have to worry about being pushed around by his superiors and his relationship with Miranda seemed to be going smoothly. Yet, Ben Warren's interjections seemed to throw a spanner in the works. In Season 8, Episode 5, "Love, Loss and Legacy," Warren discovers that Bailey is dating Lloyd and is keen to win back her affection. This obviously disrupted her bond with Eli and caused the couple to break under the pressure. During this episode, Bailey admits that she still has feelings for Ben and doesn't feel comfortable seeing Eli anymore. Thus, the couple split up and Daniel Sunjata was not seen on the show again.
It's clear that Sunjata's character was created to help move Bailey's arc forward a little and give her character a taste of romantic infatuation. Yet, since his departure from the show was never explained, a lot of fans expect that Nurse Eli is still working at the hospital. It's important to note that he was working at Seattle Grace for many years before he appeared on-screen, so it doesn't seem too strange that he would also be working at Grey Sloan. But, it must be said that Eli's unexplained absence from the show is not that uncommon. Long-running characters like Joe and Casey Parker were simply swept under the rug and never mentioned again, even though these characters were in the middle of very important plot points.
Yet, Daniel Sunjata's departure from Grey's Anatomy is probably a lot simpler. Though he never overtly explained why he left the hit medical drama, it's likely that he wanted to pursue other projects. This actor is well known in the world of procedurals as he spent many years playing Franco Rivera in the powerful drama Rescue Me, so he's not immune to working on very vast and lengthy projects. Not to mention, he's also had a lot of success on Broadway and even won a Tony Award for his role as Darren Lemming in Take Me Out. Therefore, he probably left the role to start a new job on another show, such as Smash or Graceland.
Admittedly, Nurse Eli wasn't very well-liked by fans. In fact, a Reddit user believes that:
But it would be wrong to discourage Eli's good points. Many fans praise Sunjata's musical theater performance in "Song Beneath Song" and believe that was one of the main reasons he was cast on the show. Audiences also admire his portrayal of nurses, who are portrayed as strong and determined workers. This is exceptionally important, considering that Grey's Anatomy is a show that mainly circles around the lives of high-performing doctors and tends to ignore other aspects that keep the hospital up and running. Overall, it's unlikely that Daniel Sunjata will reprise his role on Grey's Anatomy since he's currently set to appear in a new ABC crime series called High Potential. But, with Season 21 of Grey's Anatomy welcoming back a ton of familiar faces, it wouldn't be too shocking to see Nurse Eli roaming the hospital corridors once again.
