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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 Attending Cardiothoracic Surgeon at the Heart Center of Chicago and the former Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. She is the biological child of Ellis Grey and Richard Webber and thus half-sister to Meredith Grey. She was married to Winston Ndugu.

Quick Answers

Who are Maggie Pierce's biological parents in Grey's Anatomy? toggle section
Maggie Pierce is the biological daughter of Ellis Grey and Richard Webber. After her birth, she was adopted and raised by Diane and Bill Pierce.
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How is Maggie Pierce related to Meredith Grey? toggle section
Maggie's birth mother is Meredith's mother, Ellis Gray, making them biological half-sisters.
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Who does Maggie Pierce end up marrying in Grey's Anatomy? toggle section
Maggie married Winston Ndugu in season seventeen of Grey's Anatomy, but they divorced in season twenty.
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What is Maggie Pierce's specialty as a surgeon? toggle section
Maggie Pierce specializes in Cardiothoracic Surgery.
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History[]

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[]

Maggie interviewed for the position of head of cardiothoracic surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. She was hired soon after. Her flight to Seattle from Boston was one of the worst flying experiences ever. Due to some technical issue, the plane stayed on the tarmac and the passengers had to remain in their seats. It was very hot on the plane and they were not allowed to use the restroom or given any water. Eventually, after four hours, the flight was just cancelled with no apology whatsoever.[4]

Two weeks after being hired, 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.[5]

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.[1]

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.[6]

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.[7]

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.[8]

Derek's Death[]

11x22-21

Maggie finds out about 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.[9]

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.[10]

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. Their relationship progressed, and Maggie became more integrated into Jackson's family. They soon exchanged 'I love you's' and, months later, decided to move in together. Maggie was able to help Jackson through Catherine's tumor surgery, as Maggie had been through a similar situation with her own mother's illness.

Breaking Up with Jackson and Losing Sabi[]

Maggie decided to chase after Jackson. She eventually heard him responding to her calls right when Victoria Hughes arrived with her aid car. She instructed Maggie to wait out on the street while she helped Jackson out of his predicament with Mari Prishna and Jai Prishna. Maggie then got on the ambulance with Jai and Jackson. After they arrived at the hospital, Jai was taken into the ER. Maggie and Jackson sat in the rig in silence and eventually agreed to talk about their fight when their temper had settled. He approached her after a week to inform her that Mari and Jai were doing fine. She was happy about that, but she was still angry at him for abandoning her in the car in the woods, while he just thought of it as "taking a walk." She decided she was still too angry to talk and left.

A week later, she joined Jackson as he was trying to figure out why Jai had had an apparent stroke. He brought up Mari hanging onto him for hours, nearly losing her arm in the process, which led to him on life support after excruciating surgeries due to something being irreparably broken inside him. He was wondering if Mari should have let go back at that cliff. Maggie understood he was using them as a metaphor for their broken relationship and that he thought it was time to let go. She agreed. The break-up stuck as she wanted someone who didn't abandon her over and over again. While she thought they would go back to being friends, she found him pretty defensive when she inquired about him and Vic after she saw them together. He told her they were just friends, but added it was none of her business. She agreed, since they apparently didn't like each other enough to even be friends.[11]

She and Amelia went to collect some of Maggie's stuff from Jackson's penthouse. After Maggie told her she had to tell Link about her pregnancy, Amelia showed her Jackson had posted a photo on social media with #Freedom in the caption. Maggie hated how he was sending her a message through Instagram. In the hospital parking lot, a scooter crashed into her car. Maggie and Owen took Reid Kim, the driver, to a trauma room. En route there, they ran into Jackson and she made a mean comment about his freedom now that he was dating a firefighter instead of an intellectually challenging woman. Meanwhile, Reid was diagnosed with a few broken ribs. They told him he was lucky and he told Maggie she was, too, since she ran into him. She denied as she was standing still when he crashed into her car, after which he deteriorated. It was discovered he had a cardiac tamponade. They relieved the tamponade and managed to resuscitate him after extensive efforts. He made it through surgery and Maggie briefed Reid's girlfriend Tara in the ICU. Tara openly wondered why she was staying with someone who treated her as terribly as Reid did. Maggie drew parallels from her relationship with Jackson and guessed that things were good in the beginning, but then she noticed some red flags, which she ignored because dating is hard, especially for successful women. She advised Tara to leave Reid before he left her because that could leave her feeling like a victim, which she thought was so much worse than ripping that Band-Aid off herself. Afterward, she ran into Jackson, who told her she was wrong about Vic. She apologized for her comment but pointed out he had been spiteful with his caption, even if he hadn't meant to be.[12]

The break-up continued to be hard on her as she kept having dreams about Jackson with Victoria thrown in the mix, too. She hated how he walked out of the fog with a new girlfriend like she never existed. Amelia informed her she and Link were keeping the baby. Amelia had trouble with keeping the secret as it clashed with her rigorous honesty but Maggie told her that privacy and honesty weren't mutually exclusive. While her experiences with love had led her to believe love wasn't worth it due to all the heartbreak, loss, back-stabbing, and pettiness, witnessing the reunion between Bertram Hollister and Soyoung Oh showed her what true love looked like. On her way home, she ran into Vic, who told her she didn't want things to be awkward. Maggie admitted she felt Jackson had moved on a little too fast to her liking and proceeded to unsuccessfully assure Vic that things weren't awkward at all.[13]

When Meredith's article was inadvertently turned into an attack on Grey Sloan, Bailey was worried that the stress of the article's fall-out was getting to her heart. Maggie did a full cardiac work-up, which revealed her heart was fine. Given her hot flashes and mood swings, Maggie suggested it might be hormonal and drew blood for a full panel. Meanwhile, Maggie, Teddy, and Link tried to save a patient who was hit by a stowaway whose frozen body had fallen out of a plane but they failed given the extensive injuries. After the surgery, she got Bailey's results and went to tell her that, while she was indeed perimenopausal as suspected, she was also pregnant.[14] After an extensive surgery made her feel more than she'd ever felt during her relationship with Jackson, Maggie found comfort in the realization that surgery was her truest love, which she thought might never change. She joined Meredith and Amelia while they were waiting for updates on Zola's shunt revision.[15]

On Halloween, Maggie got the kids ready for school while Meredith was in jail for the hours of community service she had missed. After school, the kids came to the hospital but Zola refused to go to daycare because it was for little children. Since Maggie had surgery, she convinced Andrew to watch her and assured him it'd be easy with Zola just reading her book or sitting in the OR gallery. Maggie later took the kids trick-or-treating and helped them sort the candy afterward.[16]

When Catherine returned to Seattle after a long absence, she ran into Maggie and asked how things were going at the hospital. During their conversation, Maggie learned that Jackson hadn't told her about their breakup yet. She went to confront him about that but their bickering on the matter was interrupted by the arrival of Sabrina Webber, whom Maggie noticed had an uncanny resemblance to her. Maggie approached her and heard they were looking for Richard. Maggie introduced herself to Sabrina and her father Chris Webber and learned they were her cousin and uncle. They knew about Maggie, who offered to drive them to Pac-North to see Richard. En route, she learned Chris and Sabi knew a lot about her and Sabi addressed the uncanny resemblance between them, which she proved by taking a picture of the two of them together. Chris commented on her lack of knowledge about them was due to Richard's being ashamed of them, though Sabi disagreed.

16x07-26

Maggie tries to convince Sabi that she is the best to operate on her.

At Pac-North, they met up with Richard, who hadn't seen his family in five years. Sabi declined a tour and showed Maggie and Richard a picture of the massive cardiac tumor she had been diagnosed with back home. Maggie did a quick exam and decided they needed scans to get an updated view of the tumor. They exchanged phone numbers while waiting for the scan and learned they had a lot in common, like their love for crossword puzzles. While Sabi was in the scanner, Richard told her he hadn't told her about his family because they believed he thought he was better than them and he wanted to protect her from that. The scans then revealed the tumor had grown considerably and infiltrated its surrounding tissues.

Maggie presented Sabi and Chris with the facts and offered to operate today but Sabi had reservations about being operated on by her family. Maggie stated she was the best and she wasn't sure the family rule applied since they had only known each other for two hours. Chris then pointed out she just steamrolled all of Sabi's concerns without listening, which he thought she inherited from Richard. Maggie disagreed and said her concerns were just not valid. Richard didn't have her back and said he'd page the on-call cardio surgeon. Maggie was upset with him for that and he explained this experience could lead to her growing closer with Sabi, which could all be jeopardized if something went wrong in that OR. Maggie pointed out Sabi came here for help from a doctor and she thought it was a shame Richard couldn't think like one. However, she did agree to consult with the cardio surgeon. However, while Maggie was out getting coffee, Sabi started crashing. Maggie rushed back to the room. Since the surgery was now urgent, Richard convinced Chris to consent to letting Maggie operate. The surgery went well until Sabi started clotting. The perfusionist hadn't informed her that Sabi's clotting time had stopped rising, as Pac-North's protocol was for the surgeon to ask, despite being given multiple doses of heparin. Maggie then realized Sabi was heparin-resistant. Maggie rushed to replace the bypass. Alex found her working frantically to save Sabi's life and concluded it was too late; Sabi was already brain dead. She stepped back and Alex called time of death. While on her way to talk to Chris and Richard, she saw a text from Richard and the picture of her and Sabi. She started to break down and Alex took her into a supply closet so she could get it all out. She composed herself and then informed Sabi's family. Chris yelled at her for operating on Sabi against Sabi's wishes, after which he stormed off. Richard and Catherine left to take Chris to go say goodbye to Sabi, leaving a broken down Maggie behind.[17]

Maggie accompanied Meredith, Andrew, Alex, and Amelia to a hotel for Meredith's hearing before the medical board, though she retreated to the hotel bar rather than attend the hearing. She got drunk and started explaining how Sabi died to a bartender. Jackson found her in the bar. He had heard about Sabi's death from his mother. Maggie told him she was afraid Richard would never speak to him again, which she couldn't blame him for. Jackson decided to take her home she could continue drinking there. At the house, Jackson told her he suspected Richard and Catherine were having issues but she didn't know anything about that. They then received word that Meredith got to keep her license. She realized she hadn't helped at all though he pointed out a drunk testimony wouldn't have helped. They laughed and he confessed he had missed talking to her about their lives. They nearly kissed until he backed off, saying he couldn't do it. Maggie then threw him out at the exact moment Meredith came home. Meredith asked what happened and Maggie replied she hated someone she used to love.[18]

Maggie and Meredith returned to work on the same day. Her first case back was Elliott Calhoun, who needed an aortic valve replacement. Maggie was surprised to learn Elliott's wife Finley had given birth to their son prematurely, adding to the pressure of the case. Maggie asked Teddy to scrub in with her. While Teddy wondered why Maggie needed help on such an easy procedure, she gladly accepted to operate on non-traumatized hearts again. During the surgery, Maggie continuously asked about the activated clotting time. Teddy brought up Owen had offered her to come run Cardio at Pac-North but Maggie scolded her for chit-chatting. Shortly before the procedure was done, Tom complimented Teddy's technique from the gallery. Maggie wondered why Teddy wasn't telling him he didn't have a future with her. Teddy was then paged away to the ER, leaving Maggie to take Elliott off bypass by herself. She did so but the heart didn't restart, causing her to panic. Teddy was brought back in and she found Maggie pondering what she did wrong. Teddy suggested they were faced with hibernating myocardium given the fact that Elliott had been on bypass multiple times. Teddy recommended they keep Elliott in the OR for a few hours as his heart would most likely restart. Since Maggie wasn't feeling like telling his family that he had died, she agreed. Maggie went to inform Finley, who didn't quite understand. Maggie couldn't handle it and left. She ran into Tom and resigned. He tried to convince her not to but she said she had lost faith in her abilities and couldn't do her job without that. After watching Elliott from the gallery, Maggie went home.[19]

Maggie spent her day sleeping on the couch. Andrew came by after work to inform her that Elliott's heart had indeed restarted. Maggie was relieved to hear that and Andrew asked her for advice on his problem with Meredith. Maggie pointed out he had hurt a woman who had been hurt more than enough for a lifetime. Her short-lived happiness was cut short when a woman dropped by to serve her with a lawsuit. She found out Chris was suing her for Sabrina's wrongful death.[20]

Maggie continued to shut everyone out. Eventually, Richard came by the house. He wanted to take her out to eat but seeing her made him realize it was better for them to eat in. While looking for things he could cook for her, Maggie told him she didn't deserve compassion from him. Richard disagreed and offered to let her talk to Pac-North's new psychologist, which led her to freak out. She realized she was being awful and requested to be left alone. Richard ignored her and said they'd start with coffee. Over coffee, he asked her why she quit since she was Sabi's only shot. He explained he couldn't look at her after Sabi's death not because of what she did but because of what he had done to her. He had sent her in there knowing Sabi was unlikely to survive. Maggie told him Sabi had died because she forgot to ask about the clotting time, which made her think she didn't belong in the OR. She asked him to leave. He left but much to her surprise, he returned soon after with food. He started to make pancakes for her and she begged him to yell at her, knowing he had lost more than she had. Richard told her about one of the few lessons his mother taught him before her death: talking problems out over pancakes. Over pancakes, Richard admitted had wondered about what he could have done differently. Maggie took all the blame but Richard says being imperfect meant she was human. She admitted no one had ever had to tell her that before. He advised her to let her insurance settle with Chris so he would get the sense that something came from Sabi's death. Richard told her quitting now meant quitting on all the lives only she could save, which he knew Sabi wouldn't want. Maggie wished she had known Sabi better. Richard offered to let her ask all the questions about Sabi she wanted since he felt like talking about his niece.[21]

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.

Relationships[]

Romantic[]

Dean[]

She was dating 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.[22]

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.[23]

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.[24]

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.[25]

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 that Maggie forgot about. Clive showed up at her work to pick her up.[26] They kept going on dates, one of which she left early because she forgot about her dancing class with Richard.[27]

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.[28]

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.[29]

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.[30]

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.[31]

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.[32] 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.[33]

When they both received invitations for Jo's and Alex's wedding, they decided to go together as a couple.[34]

Jackson and Maggie broke up shortly after they went camping.

Winston Ndugu[]

Winston was one of her residents at Tufts. She felt elated around him except when they were in the OR. He also had a crush on her but was too nervous to admit it because she was younger than him, but his chief resident. He was going to ask her out when he became an attending but she moved to Seattle. They met at a conference in California and instantly hit it off. They got to know each other in the short time they had. When the conference was over, he came up to Maggie and proposed either him moving to Seattle or her moving to Boston. Maggie told him she was the kind of person who needed time to make big decisions like that, and he told her to take the time she needed.[35] When the Covid-19 pandemic started, Winston and Maggie would talk over the phone until Winston moved to Seattle to be with Maggie. Winston was granted permission to operate at Grey Sloan, but he still had a job at Tufts Medical Center. Maggie told him she was willing to move back to Boston to be with him, but he said they both knew she wouldn't. Later that same day, Winston proposed and Maggie said yes.

Familial[]

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.[36]

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' 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[]

Maggie and her maternal half-sister Meredith didn't get along at first because Meredith thought she had come to Seattle looking for money or to profit from Ellis's reputation. They fought over little things and about patients. Derek planned a family dinner for himself, Meredith, Maggie, and Richard to smooth things over but he and Meredith ended up having sex in the shower and missing the dinner, hurting Maggie's feelings.[37]

When Meredith confronted her about it, she told Meredith that the reason she was sad about the dinner being canceled was that 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.[38]

Over time, Maggie and Meredith grew closer and now they have a good relationship.

Friendships[]

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.[39]

After Amelia shut Link out, Maggie tried to bring her breakfast, but Amelia refused, saying she wanted to be alone. She reminded Maggie of the space they'd given her after Sabi, and Maggie reluctantly agreed. However, she came back, saying that she was an only child and therefore needed independent space to solve her problems, but Amelia grew up in a wolf pack, and wolves only go off on their own to die. She sat down by Amelia and listened to her talk about her worries about Link and the baby. Later that night, when Link tried to visit Amelia, Maggie lied for Amelia until Amelia came downstairs herself.[40]

Professional[]

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 told 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 former 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 Tufts Medical Center. 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 for personal reasons, she was convinced to remain at her post by Derek Shepherd.

She quit her job when losing Sabrina Webber caused her to lose faith in her own abilities, which she deemed necessary for her job. She was then made an offer by Richard Webber to come run the Cardio department at Pacific Northwest General Hospital. She accepted the offer but the hospital was purchased by the Catherine Fox Foundation and closed down on her first day. Like all other staff, she had to interview for a job at Grey Sloan with Tom Koracick and ended up hired as Co-Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery, sharing the job with Teddy, who had been hired to replace Maggie after she quit.

Notes and Trivia[]

  • Maggie finished high school and medical school early.[41]
  • 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; afterward, 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.[source?]
  • According to her mother, she started reading at the age of two.[42]
  • There's nothing Maggie doesn't eat.[source?]
  • Growing up, Maggie was bullied because she was younger and smaller than the other kids, and because of her lisp.[43]
  • 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.[44]
  • Her start date at Grey Sloan Memorial was December 18, 2013.[45]
  • Her base rate salary is $126,000.[46]
  • Her employee ID number is 6654.[47]
  • Her work email address is mpierce@greysloan.[48]
  • 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.[49]
  • She was a girl scout.[50]
  • She was registered with a babysitting service as a teen.[51]
  • She had a full genetic history done when she was 12. It revealed a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease.[52]
  • 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.[53]
  • Amelia has referred to herself, Meredith, and Maggie as "Lady Chief Trifecta", "The House of Lady Chiefs", and "Sister Lady Chiefs".[54]
  • She speaks French.[55]
  • She drives a BMW 4 Series with license plate ACS-414.[source?] Coincidentally, ACS is a widely used abbreviation in the medical field for acute coronary syndrome, a condition in which the blood flow to (portions of) the heart muscle is decreased or even fully blocked.
  • She loves puzzles. Her record for solving the Friday New York Times crossword puzzle is 11 minutes.[1]
  • She named the first cadaver she ever dissected Leonard.[56]
  • She's ordained to perform weddings.[57]
  • She knows American Sign Language.[58]
  • She can change a tire.[59]
  • For 3 years as a child she had an imaginary friend named Ralph.[60]
  • She used to name medical instruments because she had no friends.[61]
  • She knows what happens by chapter in every Harry Potter book.[62]
  • She is claustrophobic.[63]
  • She's never been to a summer camp.[64]
  • Her favorite snack food is pretzels.[65]
  • Her favorite movie is Amélie.[66]
  • She doesn't like camping.[67]
  • She learned calculus in grade school and coronary bypass when she was 20.[68]
  • She doesn’t like blue cheese.[source?]
  • She doesn't like snakes.[69]
  • Her blood type is A+.[70]
  • She color-coded her surgical schedule, set grand rounds for the next year, and labeled possible case studies by procedure.[71]

Gallery[]

A more complete gallery with pictures of Maggie Pierce can be found here.

Notable Episodes[]

These episodes are Maggie-centric or are otherwise very informative about her life.

Memorable Quotes[]

Maggie (to Cristina): You think I look too young. I finished high school early, also med school. Pretty annoying, right?[72]

Maggie: When I find a puzzle, it's very hard for me to put it down.[1]

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.[73]

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 "Galactica".
Amelia: I really do like her. She makes me not the crazy sister.
Meredith: What do you think they're paying her?[74]

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.[75]

Arizona: You have never been high before. You need to be with people who.. who can help you and keep you safe.
Maggie: I don't... I don't think I need my neck anymore.[76]

Maggie: You're so pretty. You look like a cartoon.[77]

Appearances[]



References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Puzzle With a Piece Missing, 11x02
  2. No Time for Despair, 17x06
  3. I Walk the Line, 15x13
  4. One Flight Down, 11x20
  5. Fear (of the Unknown), 10x24
  6. Don't Let's Start, 11x06
  7. All I Could Do Was Cry, 11x11
  8. Don't Dream It's Over, 11x16
  9. She's Leaving Home, 11x22
  10. Time Stops, 11x23
  11. Nothing Left to Cling To, 16x01
  12. Back in the Saddle, 16x02
  13. Reunited, 16x03
  14. It's Raining Men, 16x04
  15. Breathe Again, 16x05
  16. Whistlin' Past the Graveyard, 16x06
  17. Papa Don't Preach, 16x07
  18. My Shot, 16x08
  19. Let's All Go to the Bar, 16x09
  20. Help Me Through the Night, 16x10
  21. A Hard Pill to Swallow, 16x11
  22. The Bed's Too Big Without You, 11x10
  23. I Choose You, 12x03
  24. Old Time Rock and Roll, 12x04
  25. When It Hurts So Bad, 12x16
  26. 1-800-799-7233, 14x09
  27. Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger, 14x12
  28. Games People Play, 14x14
  29. Games People Play, 14x14
  30. Old Scars, Future Hearts, 14x15
  31. Caught Somewhere in Time, 14x16
  32. Hold Back the River, 14x18
  33. Beautiful Dreamer, 14x19
  34. Cold as Ice, 14x23
  35. Love of My Life, 16x19
  36. Walking Tall, 12x02
  37. Don't Let's Start, 11x06
  38. Could We Start Again, Please?, 11x07
  39. Something Against You, 12x07
  40. A Diagnosis, 16x14
  41. Everything I Try to Do, Nothing Seems to Turn Out Right, 10x23
  42. Be Still, My Soul, 13x18
  43. Sledgehammer, 12x01
  44. https://twitter.com/shondarhimes/status/523940720483135490
  45. Got to Be Real, 11x03
  46. Got to Be Real, 11x03
  47. Got to Be Real, 11x03
  48. Got to Be Real, 11x03
  49. The Bed's Too Big Without You, 11x10
  50. All I Could Do Was Cry, 11x11
  51. All I Could Do Was Cry, 11x11
  52. Don't Dream It's Over, 11x16
  53. Only Mama Knows, 11x04
  54. I Choose You, 12x03
  55. Ain't That a Kick in the Head, 14x04
  56. Old Scars, Future Hearts, 14x15
  57. Old Scars, Future Hearts, 14x15
  58. Old Scars, Future Hearts, 14x15
  59. Old Scars, Future Hearts, 14x15
  60. Old Scars, Future Hearts, 14x15
  61. Old Scars, Future Hearts, 14x15
  62. Old Scars, Future Hearts, 14x15
  63. It's Raining Men, 16x04
  64. Love of My Life, 16x19
  65. Love of My Life, 16x19
  66. Love of My Life, 16x19
  67. The Center Won't Hold, 17x02
  68. Anybody Have a Map?, 15x07
  69. Put the Squeeze On Me, 18x13
  70. Out for Blood, 18x19
  71. Happily Ever After?, 19x20
  72. Everything I Try to Do, Nothing Seems to Turn Out Right, 10x23
  73. Sledgehammer, 12x01
  74. I Choose You, 12x03
  75. Something Against You, 12x07
  76. Judgment Day, 14x20
  77. Judgment Day, 14x20
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