Former Second City actor plays non-binary doc on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’Darel Jevenson November 1, 2021 at 1:00 am

Dr. Kai Bartley (E.R. Fightmaster) is working on a Parkinson’s Disease cure in Minnesota on “Grey’s Anatomy.” | ABC

Dr. Kai Bartley, portrayed by E.R. Fightmaster, will be a recurring character on the ABC hit.

A former Second City performer who turned up on “Grey’s Anatomy” last month has become a recurring cast member, the first non-binary actor to play a doctor on the long-running series.

E.R. Fightmaster plays Dr. Kai Bartley, a Minnesota-based Parkinson’s Disease researcher whom Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) met last month. The character, also non-binary, hit it off with Amelia and is scheduled to return on the Nov. 11 episode.

A DePaul grad, Fightmaster starred in and co-wrote the 2018 Second City e.t.c. show “Gaslight District,” playing (among other roles) a weird stylist at a Sport Clips-style salon and an alien singing about a utopian, LGBTQ-friendly planet.

(C) Todd Rosenberg Photography
E.R. Fightmaster (center) was the Second City e.t.c. show “Gaslight District” with Sayjal Joshi (from left), Alan Linic, Andrew Knox, Jasbir Singh Vazquez and Katie Kershaw.

Fightmaster also performed with the team Baby Wine at The Annoyance and with Boom Chicago, the Amsterdam comedy theater that does Chicago-style improv for the Dutch. They appeared on the locally made Showtime series “Work in Progress” and the Hulu show “Shrill.”

Fightmaster also is half of the music duo Twin.

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