Ellen Pompeo has spent nearly two decades bringing Dr. Meredith Grey to life on “Greyâs Anatomy”, becoming one of televisionâs most beloved and enduring characters.
In a candid new interview, Pompeo opened up about why she chose to stay on the long-running series â and it had less to do with fame or awards.
Why Ellen Pompeo Prioritized Job Security Over Awards
âOn Grey’s, you really only get an opportunity to be nominated for things in your first few seasons, and so that time had clearly passed,” Pompeo told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published Wednesday.
(Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)“I didn’t crave that kind of recognition. I craved the sort of financial and job security situation more than I did critical accolades â that’s why I stayed on the show.”
Since 2022, Pompeo has scaled back her on-screen appearances, with her character narrating the series but appearing in only a few episodes each season. She continues to serve as an executive producer on the long-running Shonda Rhimes hit.
“Had I been [chasing] critical acclaim, I wouldn’t have stayed on Grey’s for so long,” Pompeo added. “So it wasn’t always the most important thing to me, but now that I’m doing something new, it would definitely, probably help me in this next chapter of my story â moving on from Grey’s, doing other roles.”
Pompeo Explains Why Sheâs Not Letting Go of ‘Greyâs Anatomy’
Though her role has shifted, Pompeo isnât walking away from Greyâs anytime soon. “That would make no sense, emotionally or financially,” she told El PaÃs in April.
“The show was streamed more than a billion times in 2024. More than a billion times.” Pompeo emphasized that after two decades of commitment to the series, she still wants to share in its ongoing success.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
Ellen Pompeoâs New Chapter: Huluâs Good American Family
In addition to her work on Greyâs Anatomy, Pompeo recently starred in “Good American Family”, a Hulu limited series inspired by the true story of Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian-born girl with dwarfism who was adopted by an American couple and later accused of being an adult.
Pompeo portrayed Kristine Barnett, who adopted Grace (played by Imogen Faith Reid), alongside Mark Duplass as Michael Barnett.
The star is also set to appear in the upcoming season of Greyâs Anatomy. It is developing new projects for Hulu, which could include a follow-up to “Good American Family“, either as a second season or an anthology-style entry.
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