Jessica Capshaw has signed a three-year contract extension which will keep her in the Grey's Anatomy cast until May 2018.
Capshaw, who plays Dr Arizona Robbins in the long-running US medical drama, is the first of the crew to agree a new deal. The majority will soon be back at the negotiating table as most current contracts expire next May.
The show itself has technically only been renewed for its upcoming 12th season but its global popularity would indicate that creator Shonda Rhimes' breakthrough hit remains on course to match or even pass ER's record 15-season run as the longest-running primetime medical drama in US TV history.
ABC entertainment president Paul Lee recently said he would like to see Grey's remain on the air for "many, many years to come," adding that the series remains "a powerful, vibrant" brand for the network.
Shonda Rhimes has acknowledged that Grey's is entering "uncharted territory" since the recent departure of Patrick Dempsey, who played Derek Shepherd.
Rhimes has recruited her former Off the Map leading man Martin Henderson – last seen on RTÉ2 in Australian drama Secrets & Lies - to help fill the gap as a charismatic and hunky new surgeon.
Grey's Anatomy continues on Tuesdays on RTÉ2
