LATEST: ISAIAH WASHINGTON has hit out at producers of hit TV show GREY'S ANATOMY for firing him with such ease.
The troubled actor's future on the medical drama had been in doubt ever since he made a homophobic remark about castmate T.R. Knight last October (06) - a comment he repeated at the Golden Globe Awards earlier this year (07).
At the end of season three, his character Dr. Preston Burke was seen packing his bags in a cliffhanger finale and last week (07Jun07) Washington received a call from producer Shonda Rhimes revealing his services were no longer required.
At the time, the 43-year-old star released a statement, simply saying, "I'm mad as hell" - and Washington still can't believe how calm and collected Rhimes was when she made the fateful call.
He says, "I'm saddened by the outcome. I did everything that the producers and the network asked me to do. I came back under great duress and stress, and thought I was doing the job I was hired to do.
"Shonda Rhimes called me on Thursday of last week and told me that I would not be returning to the show. Just like she personally called me and invited me to the show. It was full circle."