Where does Grey's Anatomy actor E.R. Fightmaster get their surname from? Origins and notable projects, explored 

ABC's Grey's Anatomy has seen many actors and actresses enter and exit the show in its 21-episode run, but E.R. Fightmaster's Kai Bartley, a neuroscientist, will always have a special place and will go down in the history of the show.

Fightmaster is an American non-binary actor who uses gender-neutral pronouns. They were an important addition to Season 18 as Kai because they are also non-binary on the show. In fact, Fightmaster's Kai was the first non-binary doctor in 18 seasons of the medical procedural.

While fans loved their character on the show, they were curious about their unique surname. Fightmaster is the Americanized version of the German word Fechtmeister, which was used in 17th-century Germany.

More on Grey's Anatomy star's career in our story.

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Exploring the origins of Grey's Anatomy star E.R. Fightmaster's surname

E.R. Fightmaster got their breakthrough role in Grey's Anatomy, and apart from being praised for their exceptional role in the medical procedural, fans were wondering where they got their unusual surname from.

Fightmaster is quite an unusual surname, and we did some digging to find the origins of this surname. It turns out that Fightmaster is the American version of a popular German word, 'Fechtmeister,' which consists of two words: fetchen (means to fight/fence) and meister (means master).

In 17th-century Germany, people used the term to address a show fighter/fencer and organizer of begging and thieving journeymen. While E.R. Fightmaster's German roots are not known since they grew up in Ohio, it is likely they had a German ancestor, and the Fechtmeister became Fightmaster when they came to America.

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Exploring Grey's Anatomy star E.R. Fightmaster's career

E.R. Fightmaster joined Grey's Anatomy as Kai Bartley in Season 18, Episode 2. They are the first non-binary doctor on the show, and fans have praised the makers for including diversity in their casting.

Kai's character was liked by the fans, and they also sparked a romance with Amelia. Unfortunately, their romance could not take flight because Kai left the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital for a job in London in Season 19 Episode 15.

While E.R. Fightmaster left the show after two seasons, fans expect to see Kai in the show again. In an interview with NBC, they discussed their character's identity on the show:

“I think it’s really important when you are an actor with an identity that gets discussed a lot, or rather is in discussion, to be firm in how much of your identity you bring to the show.”

They added:

“I have also learned a lot about what aspects of nonbinary are most confusing to people, and … things about the identity that need to be handled well or need to be handled with grace, and how to talk with people who aren’t familiar with this identity in a gentle and educational way.”

Fightmaster is an actor and musician. In addition to their role in Grey's Anatomy, their other big project includes Hulu's comedy series Shrill, where they played the role of Emily. Like Fightmaster, both their characters in Grey's Anatomy and Shrill were non-binary.

Their other credits include Tales from the Closet, Work in Progress, Yew Boys, and Ancient Methods.

In their music career, they are a music duo called Twin, and they also released their first solo project, “Fightmaster,” in August 2023, with an EP on October 20 titled Violence.

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