Maggie Pierce

"I make terrible choices. I leave things behind and just let the bridges burn. I did it with Ethan. I did it with Dean. Oh, my God. I did it with my entire life. One day, I chose to learn a little bit about my birth mother. Cut to I live in her house with her daughter, and I work with the kind stranger who fathered me, and I left behind an entire life and family that no longer exists. My parents are divorced. My childhood home is sold. My mother is in Hawaii making soap now. I have no home. It's like I flew to this planet on an exploratory mission, and the earth blew up behind me and I can't go back. And now I'm here with you aliens. Except I'm the alien, and I'm all alone, and I have nothing, and no one wants me."

- Maggie Pierce

Maggie Pierce is the current Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital who succeeded Jeff Russell after he quit. Shortly after starting work, she found out that her biological half-sister is Meredith Grey, after she revealed to Richard Webber that Ellis Grey is her birth mother.

Education
Maggie is very driven and finished both high school and medical school faster than normal. She worked extremely hard and was a focused student. She states that she graduated early from Yale, but it is unknown whether this was in reference to undergrad or medical school.

Search for her Birth Mom
Two weeks after she was hired as head of cardiothoracic surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, Maggie told Dr. Richard Webber that she was adopted, and that 2 years prior, she looked for her birth mom and needed to go to the court for the records. She found out that she was dead, but got her name, and discovered that she was an amazing surgeon that worked at the Seattle Grace Hospital, now Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, Maggie's current workplace. She stated that that's not why she took the job, but it's "a little bit" why she took the interview. When Richard asked Maggie what her mother's name was, she said that it was Ellis Grey.

Working at Grey Sloan Memorial and Bonding
Maggie quickly began to integrate into the hospital, getting to know everyone and how things work. However, she butted heads with Meredith Grey over a case. This came to a head when Maggie told Meredith that Ellis Grey is her birth mom.

Dinner at Meredith and Derek's
Derek and Meredith decided to have Maggie come over to their house for dinner, to get to know Maggie better. After Maggie said yes, Derek thought it was a good idea to ask Richard as well. Richard at first thought it was a bad idea, because Maggie was going and he didn't want to ruin it, because Maggie and Richard were not okay. The night of the dinner, Maggie and Richard showed up, but no one opened the door. She talked to Richard for a few minutes, making it clear to him that he's not her dad, and then left.

Taking Care of Meredith and Derek's Kids
Meredith ended up in a bind with no one to watch her kids, so Maggie offered to watch them.

Being Hit By a Patient
In the ER, Maggie treated a patient with what looked like Alzheimer's. While trying to get the patient stabilized, he accidentally hit Maggie on her cheek and eye, causing her to fall. Later, Richard asked Maggie if she was okay and Maggie responded that she was, but then said she thought she had a concussion. Maggie later complained about the patient to Richard Webber, who then revealed that her mother, Ellis Grey, had Alzheimer's.

Derek's Death
Maggie was one of the first people to find out about Derek's death as she was present when Meredith returned to Grey Sloan to announce his death. She presumably attended Derek's funeral. Shortly after, Meredith disappeared with her kids without leaving other than a small note saying she and the kids were fine. Over the year that Meredith was gone, Maggie continued to bond with her colleagues, especially Alex, and confessed to him that she felt abandoned by Meredith, now that they finally got to be somewhat of a family. They celebrated the holidays with other colleagues. She became a little closer to Richard when she invited him for Christmas, as he appeared to be a little lonely. She also defended him when Catherine stated he was too romantic for her. Maggie said that being romantic probably made him feel good about himself. When Meredith finally returned, she hung with Maggie and Alex while they informed her about the past year.

Parents' Divorce
While Maggie and her colleagues were busy dealing with Keith Gardner after a tunnel collapse, Maggie got a phone call from her mother, who informed her that her parents were getting a divorce. Maggie was emotional about this, but she didn't want to bother her colleagues about it.

Moving in with her Sisters
After Meredith bought her house back from Alex, she invited Maggie and Amelia to move in with her. They assisted Meredith in caring for her kids. Maggie also often mediated between Meredith and Amelia, who frequently got into fights over little things. She often helped with Meredith's three kids, with each "sister" in charge of getting one kid ready for the day.

Relationship with Andrew
After a short conversation and a few drinks, Maggie ends up making out with Andrew and sleeps with him. After that night, Maggie and Andrew agree that it was a one-time thing only that day, but only to have sex again minutes after agreeing. Shortly after, Maggie and Andrew went public with their relationship. Andrew became uncomfortable with dating an attending and started avoiding Maggie. After she confronted him, they broke up.

Diane's Cancer and Death
Her mother came to the hospital to visit Maggie and see Jackson to get rid of a rash, which turned out to be inflammatory breast cancer. Diane and Jackson were gonna tell Maggie before Diane left, but they got into a fight and never got to talk about the cancer. A few months later, when Diane returned to have surgery, Maggie kept thinking that her mother was getting breast implants and failed to understand why, continuously trying to talk her mother out of it. When Diane later told Maggie the truth about her breast cancer, Maggie immediately started looking at her charts. Over the next few months Maggie helped her mom through everything and stated her opinion about what she should do, which her mother followed. After Maggie butted heads with Meredith, Diane fired her from her mother's case. Maggie found a clinical trial and signed her mom up for it, although the trial did more harm than good.

After she stated that she wasn't ready for her mom to go, Meredith told her to listen to her mom and record her voice in her mind. The next day, Maggie was talking to her mom and painting her nails. Diane gave her advice including to have some fun in her life and to be a little lazy or slutty and to make a mistake. When Maggie went to open a window, she came back to find that her mom had died. Later on, she was seen hugging her mom's lifeless body with Meredith and Amelia in the room. Her dad came in and she hugged him.

Hospital Fire and Feelings for Jackson
Maggie bonded with Jackson after her mother's death. They frequently talked at work and they were together when the explosion caused a fire at the hospital. Jackson rushed off to go find Stephanie, which worried Maggie. She later confronted him about it in front of April, who later pointed out that she felt like Maggie liked Jackson and that he liked her back, which she recognized. Maggie was unsure how she felt about that as she hadn't thought about Jackson in that way until April suggested it.

Awkwardness ensued in her talks with Jackson as she was constantly walking on eggshells in order not to give him signals. He picked up on her weird behavior and she later came clean about what had transpired between her and April. While initially brushing it off, it also made Jackson look at Maggie in another way. Both were in for a cold shower when Catherine, after a family dinner with Richard and Jackson that Maggie attended, referred to Maggie as Jackson's sister.

Eventually, they did start dating.

Personality
Maggie is open-hearted, optimistic and she believes in everybody and wants them to be their best. She describes herself as a big control freak, resulting in a great professional drive and her being unable to leave things unfinished. She is also described as perky and chatty, often putting her in awkward situations when she's not up to date on other people's personal life.

Dean
She dated a man named Dean who loved to cuddle. But since she can't sleep with someone lying next to her, she would sneak out after he fell asleep and spend the night on the couch before returning in the morning before he woke up. He eventually proposed and she explained the sleeping to him, telling him he could sleep in a room down the hall. He didn't want a woman who didn't sleep in the same room as him. He is now married to a woman who loves cuddling.

Ethan Boyd
She also dated a radiologist named Ethan shortly after arriving at Grey Sloan Memorial. He pursued her with compliments, but Maggie played hard to get. They were hot and heavy for six months until she got bored and let it fizzle out.

Andrew DeLuca
Maggie ends up making out and sleeping with intern Andrew DeLuca after a short conversation and a couple of drinks at Joe's.

Maggie freaks out the next day, and in an office in the hospital they have a conversation about last night and agree it was a one-time thing. They shake on it before they once again start kissing and proceed to undress.

Shortly after they went public, Andrew became uncomfortable with the way things changed when people knew he was seeing an attending and he started to avoid her. When she confronted him, he broke up with Maggie.

Nathan Riggs
Maggie had a crush on Nathan, and later she asked him out, but on Meredith's request, he declined.

Clive Johnson
Maggie matched with Clive on Tinder. They set up a date which Maggie forgot about. Clive showed up at her work to pick her up. They kept going on dates, one of which she left early because she forgot about her dancing class with Richard.

Meredith and Amelia wanted to meet Clive, so Maggie decided to host a game night. Clive's wife showed up. Maggie was devastated that she was seeing a married guy. This caused them to break up. Jackson told Clive to forget Maggie's address and to never call her again.

Jackson Avery
After Maggie broke up with Clive, Jackson came by the house after he himself broke up with his new girlfriend Priya. He then confessed he had been thinking about Maggie every time instead of Priya. He knew Maggie found their situation too complicated, but he professed his affection for her anyway. They then ended up kissing.

Jackson asked Maggie out, but she denied, saying she needed to focus on her surgery. Later, she paged Jackson for a consult, though he was hoping it was about the dinner. After work, Maggie saw Jackson at the bar. She wanted to leave, but decided to stay. They talked and Jackson asked her out to dinner again and she agreed.

When Maggie and Jackson were making out in the closet, they decided to have dinner at his place instead. As they opened the door sharing one last kiss, Richard and Catherine were both staring at them. Maggie awkwardly walked away and Jackson closed the door in embarrassment. Maggie told Meredith that she felt like a teenager. Jackson fixed things with his mother and Richard and Maggie was glad that they weren't an obstacle in their relationship.

When April was having her crisis of faith, she kissed Jackson. Maggie found out about this and was upset that Jackson didn't tell her. She wanted Jackson to apologize but he didn't know what he did wrong. Later, she showed up at Jackson's house and they made up and had sex.

When they both received invitations for Jo's and Alex's wedding, they decided to go together as a couple.

Parents
She describes her parents as good, funny, kind, and goofy. She says her parents don't understand what she does or why she likes doing it. About two years after she started working at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, her mother confessed to her that she'd been having an affair with their car serviceman for eleven years and they had only stayed together for her sake, but were getting a divorce now that she was out on her own.

Grandparents
All her grandparents are still living.

She has a grandmother who refers to her vagina as "lady place" and is not shy about talking about it.

Ellis Grey
Maggie never met her birth mother, but 2 years prior to joining the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital staff, she looked for her birth mother and found out that she was dead, but got her name. After learning that Maggie is her half-sister, Meredith gave Maggie Ellis's journals, so Maggie could get an idea of what Ellis was like.

Richard Webber
Maggie met her birth father unknowingly when she arrived at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Maggie quickly bonded with Webber while they worked together. She admired his skill greatly. When he eventually tried to tell her that he's her biological father, she became upset with him for having not told her right away.

Meredith Grey
Meredith and Maggie didn't get along at first. They fought over little things and about patients. Derek planned a family dinner for himself, Meredith, Maggie, and Richard but he and Meredith ended up having sex in the shower and missing the dinner, hurting Maggie's feelings.

When Meredith confronted her about it, she told Meredith that the reason she was sad about the dinner being canceled was because she was excited to talk to people and eat food that wasn't from a packet and socialize. Meredith then invited Maggie to Ellis's old house to socialize with Callie and Alex.

Amelia Shepherd
Although having no legal or blood relation to Amelia, Maggie considers herself Amelia's sister [through Meredith]. Amelia reciprocates this as Amelia was comfortable enough to speak to Maggie about race. Despite appreciating Amelia's sincerity, she advised Amelia to check her white privilege and to not treat her as the spokeswoman for all black people.

Cristina Yang
Cristina and Maggie first met when Cristina interviewed Maggie for the head of cardio position at GSM. Despite feeling that Maggie was very young to do the job, she admitted to Owen that she was qualified to do it.

Once she was officially hired, Maggie became frustrated because Cristina didn't respect her as her new boss. On Cristina's last day, she scheduled a pediatric heart transplant (for Link McNeil) amidst the chaos of the explosion at the mall, much to Maggie's confusion and frustration. Cristina even treated her as a resident by not listening to her objections and practically forcing her to prepare Link for the surgery. Maggie ultimately did the transplant herself as Cristina had to leave to catch her flight.

Career
Pierce is the current Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. She finished high school, college, and med school early. After med school, she began and subsequently completed a surgical residency. At twenty-five, she began her cardiothoracic surgery fellowship. Some time after, she was promoted to head the cardiothoracic surgical department.

Two years later, Pierce applied for the head of cardio position at Grey Sloan Memorial and succeeded Jeff Russell as the new department head. Despite having submitted her notice of resignation very early in her tenure, she was convinced to remain at her post by Derek Shepherd.

Notes and Trivia

 * Maggie finished high school and medical school early.
 * The writers stated they knew about Maggie's existence since the very beginning and wanted to introduce the character ever since season 4, but chose to introduce Thatcher's other children first; afterwards, it never felt like the right time until Cristina left, creating a hole in Meredith's life. This also led Shonda to claim that there have been indirect references to Maggie over the course of the series. This is especially evident in season 3 as Only Mama Knows features numerous flashbacks from that season.
 * There's nothing Maggie doesn't eat.
 * Growing up, Maggie was bullied because she was younger and smaller than the other kids and because of her lisp.
 * On Twitter, Shonda Rhimes revealed she thought a lot about making Ellis and Richard's love child a son. She even looked for an actor, but decided to settle for Kelly McCreary's acting talents, as the actor's great acting skills were more important to her than the actor's sex.
 * Her start date at Grey Sloan Memorial was December 18, 2013.
 * Her base rate salary is $126,000.
 * Her employee ID number is 6654.
 * Her work email address is mpierce@greysloan.
 * Maggie is very accomplished for her age: despite being five years younger than Meredith, Maggie had already been a cardio head for two years prior to her employment at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, board-certified, and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
 * She can't sleep if anyone else is in the bed with her.
 * She was a girl scout.
 * She was registered with a babysitting service as a teen.
 * She had a full genetic history done when she was 12. It revealed a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease.
 * As of Old Time Rock and Roll, Maggie continues the tradition of attendings sleeping with interns.
 * Albeit briefly, Maggie is the fifth consecutive cardio head that has resigned.
 * Amelia has referred to herself, Meredith, and Maggie as "Lady Chief Trifecta", "The House of Lady Chiefs", and "Sister Lady Chiefs".
 * She loves puzzles.
 * She speaks French.
 * She drives a BMW with license plate ACS-414.
 * Her record for solving the Friday New York Times crossword puzzle is 11 minutes.
 * She named the first cadaver she ever dissected Leonard.
 * She's ordained to perform weddings.
 * She knows sign language.
 * She can change a tire.
 * She used to name medical instruments because she had no friends.
 * She knows what happens by chapter in every Harry Potter book.

Notable Episodes
These episodes are Maggie-centric or are otherwise very informative about her life.
 * Fear (of the Unknown)
 * Puzzle With a Piece Missing
 * Only Mama Knows
 * You're My Home
 * Sledgehammer
 * Something Against You
 * Be Still, My Soul
 * Old Scars, Future Hearts

Memorable Quotes

 * Maggie (to Cristina): You think I look too young. I finished high school early, also med school. Pretty annoying, right?


 * Maggie: When I find a puzzle, it's very hard for me to put it down.


 * Maggie: You wanna know why bullies bully? It's 'cause they can. Maybe you've got it worse at home or maybe you're just bullying to keep from getting bullied, but really, it's because people like me, like this girl at our table, are alone and small and vulnerable. And pushing us around makes you feel better about your sad pathetic little lives. Not you guys, though. You're cool. Now.


 * Maggie: I make terrible choices. I leave things behind and just let the bridges burn. I did it with Ethan. I did it with Dean. Oh, my God. I did it with my entire life. One day, I chose to learn a little bit about my birth mother. Cut to I live in her house with her daughter, and I work with the kind stranger who fathered me, and I left behind an entire life and family that no longer exists. My parents are divorced. My childhood home is sold. My mother is in Hawaii making soups now. I—I have no home. It's like I-I flew to this planet on an exploratory mission, and the earth blew up behind me and I can't go back. And now I'm here with you aliens. Except I'm the alien, and I'm all alone, and I have nothing, and no one wants me.
 * Callie: That…
 * Meredith: You got us. We want you.
 * Maggie: I can't have sex with you.
 * Meredith: No.
 * Maggie: You're a cylon. This is "Galatica".
 * Amelia: I really do like her. She makes me not the crazy sister.


 * Maggie: Amelia, use your words. Did what?
 * Amelia: Sided with Wilson over her because she's black; which I didn't do, I think. I... God, I-I hate that this is even an issue all of a sudden.
 * Maggie: Well, it's not an issue for you. And it's not all of a sudden. Okay, it's not Mississippi Burning or anything, but it is all over. It's when people assume I'm a nurse. Or when I go to get on an airplane with my first-class ticket, and they tell me that they're not boarding coach yet. It's like a low buzz in the background, and sometimes you don't even notice it, and sometimes it's loud and annoying, and sometimes it can get dangerous, and sometimes it is ridiculous, like right now.
 * Amelia: But it's not funny. I mean, if I'm doing it and I don't even notice it...
 * Maggie: Then notice it... Look, did Edwards tell you that she's okay?
 * Amelia: Yes.
 * Maggie: Okay... Then don't give her the extra work of having to make you feel good about it.
 * Amelia: Right... [Maggie starts to walk] Okay, but how do I know that she's really.
 * Maggie: [She stops] Because she knows you, okay? So listen to the words that are coming out of her mouth, and believe them. This is not a small thing... And I'm glad that you feel like you can talk to me about it, but... I-I don't speak for all black people. I am not the spokeswoman, no one is and it is kind of annoying to be asked questions like I am. But, um, one piece of advice that I can give you that I think we would all agree with is that if you feel uncomfortable having done it, check your white privilege, and don't do it again... But I don't think you're racist.
 * Amelia: You don't think?
 * Maggie: Girl, get in the car.

Appearances
Maggie Pierce Maggie Pierce Maggie Pierce