Ellen Pompeo has been contemplating her future involvement with the well-known medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. Despite stepping back somewhat from her role, she has no intention of leaving Dr. Meredith Grey behind entirely.
For many, Grey’s Anatomy is synonymous with TV hospital dramas, and Ellen Pompeo is a significant reason for its success.
Since the show’s inception, the 55-year-old actress has portrayed Dr. Meredith Grey, appearing in nearly every episode throughout its 21 seasons.
In recent years, however, Pompeo has opted for a reduced role, negotiating a contract in 2022 that limited her appearances to a few episodes per season. She remains involved as the series’ narrator and executive producer.
In an interview with El Pais, Pompeo discussed her decision to scale back her participation in the series.
She explained: “I’ve been doing it for 20 years, so it was time to step away. I have three children and I love spending time with them and I love being involved in their lives. I’m very lucky to be able to get to work sometimes and take time off. I have a nice balance in my life.”
Nonetheless, she has no immediate plans to completely exit the series, attributing her choice to both emotional and financial considerations.
She stated: “That would make no sense, emotionally or financially. The show was streamed more than a billion times in 2024. More than a billion times.”
“The companies that own the show and stream the show make a lot of money from our images and our voices and our faces. If I were to walk away completely, everybody gets to make money from my hard work for 20 years and I wouldn’t make any money.”
“To me, it doesn’t make any sense that everybody [else] gets to profit off of my hard work. And emotionally, the show means a lot to people. I want to have an attitude of gratitude toward the show.”
Despite her commitment to Grey’s Anatomy, Pompeo remains open to exploring new opportunities. She currently appears in the TV Mini series Good American Family.
She acknowledged that her two-decade tenure in the same role has limited her exposure to new challenges. However, she is eager to embrace new roles, finding the prospect both ‘thrilling and terrifying’.