In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Marinis was asked about the fact that Pompeo has scaled back her involvement to focus on other projects and whether she would still appear in at least seven episodes as previously announced. Marinis does confirm, in the below quote, that audiences will see Meredith in at least seven episodes, of which three have already aired. She also touched on which storylines are most important for Meredith, including her relationship with Scott Speedman’s Dr. Nick Marsh:
We’ve aired three with her, so you at least have four more and I’m just gonna let y’all continue to watch to see what else you get. With Ellen, we always want her to be here as much as she can and she wants. That’s an open conversation moving forward. After this season, we have yet to have those conversations because her show is about to premiere. But we want her here as much as possible because she is the essence of the show; her voiceover, it is still in every episode. What we did this last season, we tried to look at her episodes as groups of episodes because it’s more fun to tell an arc with Meredith, rather than a bunch of different one-offs. Meredith’s relationship with Nick [Scott Speedman] is really important to me. I love her being able to find love after Derek [Patrick Dempsey]. Scott Speedman is amazing. He’s so game to come here and play with us whenever he’s able to. It’s just staying true to her character as she’s evolved over over 20 years and how she interacts with the new characters that we’ve brought, is really interesting to me.
In terms of whether there are discussions in place to bring Pompeo back for Grey’s Anatomy season 22, which is likely to be renewed, Marinis said those discussions have yet to take place. But she cautioned that if Pompeo does return, it would likely be for roughly the same number of episodes and depend on the actor’s schedule:
Those conversations haven’t quite started yet. I believe that there’s something in place [from her previous deal] for her already, but I’m not completely aware of it. My feeling is that it would probably be around the same amount as this season, and it also just depends on her schedule.
What The Latest Comments Mean For Pompeo’s Future On Grey’s Anatomy
It May Depend On What’s Next For The Actor
Pompeo’s first major role since Grey’s Anatomy in 2005 is fast approaching. She’s set to lead Good American Family, which debuts on March 19 on Hulu. The limited series is based on a true story, which centers on Ukrainian-born Natalia Grace and her adoptive parents, who claimed she was an adult sociopath pretending to be a child. The drama, which also stars Fantastic Beasts actor Imogen Reid and Mark Duplass, in addition to Dulé Hill, Sarayu Blue, Christina Hendricks, and Kim Shaw, is building off public interest in Grace after hit documentaries.
Hulu and ABC are both owned by Disney, putting them under the same corporate umbrella and likely making it easier for Pompeo to balance different shows. It remains to be seen what the actor books after Good American Family and after two decades as Meredith Grey. But if her schedule allows for it, the hospital drama does have a plan for how they might use her central character.
Our Take On Pompeo’s Future With Grey’s Anatomy
She’ll Likely Always Have A Place
The cast of Grey’s Anatomy has been able grow beyond just its titular character. But taking into account how vital she is to the show, it’s hard to imagine Meredith being completely absent. She’ll likely continue to recur in some capacity, even if the frequency of her involvement fades. Still, it’s the waiting game for when season 22 will be renewed before any of those details can be fully discussed.
