Now that ABC has decided to renew Grey’s Anatomy for another season (the twenty-second) and current showrunner Meg Marinis revealed that Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) will likely be returning for a multi-episode arc, you might wonder if the title character ever really left. During an interview on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Pompeo addressed her lasting stint on the series and revealed whether she plans to completely exit the medical drama at some point.
Pompeo told Jennifer Hudson that she has no memory of filming the pilot episode 20 years ago, and also said that her real-life husband doesn’t watch Grey’s Anatomy at all because “he’s not interested in all that nonsense.” When they got to the success of the series, Pompeo admitted that, much like series creator Shonda Rhimes, she didn’t expect the show to make it this far. And now it’s reached a point where there is no end in sight for it. She stated:
“I don’t think that show will ever end. I don’t know, no, but I’ll always pop in and out. You know, that’s my home, and I don’t think Miss Allen will let me ever leave.”
Pompeo is referring to six-time Emmy nominee Debbie Allen (Fame), who entered the series in Season 8 and never left. As she got more involved with the show, Allen became executive producer and has also directed dozens of episodes of the series — which all means she has a say about whatever goes on inside the walls of the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
Has Ellen Pompeo Ever Really Left ‘Grey’s Anatomy’?
Technically, Pompeo is no longer part of the main cast of Grey’s Anatomy. The actor “left” the series in early 2023, but fans haven’t had to miss her for too long — she continued narrating every episode, just like she’s done ever since the pilot. Additionally, Pompeo has returned for her own story arcs in every season since her exit, and chances are that she will keep returning. In a recent interview, showrunner Meg Marinis stated that the door was open and that Pompeo would be allowed to return whenever she wanted.
Grey’s Anatomy will likely keep going indefinitely because its popularity just doesn’t seem to wind down. Last year, the series was the most-streamed drama across all streaming platforms, and the show is still a major audience draw on Thursday nights on ABC. Aside from Pompeo, other original cast members that have stuck with the series this far are Chandra Wilson (Dr. Bailey) and James Pickens, Jr. (Dr. Webber).
