Ellen Pompeo explains why she would never completely leave Grey’s Anatomy. Pompeo plays the eponymous Meredith Grey in the long-running medical procedural, which began in 2005. The series has been incredibly successful, spawning spinoffs including Private Practice, Grey’s Anatomy: B-Team, and Station 19. The show is currently in season 21 and was recently renewed for season 22, with Pompeo expected to return in a limited capacity. The Grey’s Anatomy cast also features Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr., Kevin McKidd, and Justin Chambers.
Speaking with El País, Pompeo details why she will not be leaving Grey’s Anatomy completely. The star says that parting ways with the series “would make no sense, emotionally or financially.” She noted how successful the show still is, and how leaving it would mean that other people got to make money from her two decades of hard work. Thus, she says that “it doesn’t make any sense that everybody [else] gets to profit off of [her] hard work.” She still wants to look for interesting roles in her work. Check out Pompeo’s full quote below:
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.
But we don’t make many of those shows anymore. When you’re really young in Hollywood, you’re hired for your talent, but also for your beauty. They’re not hiring you for your beauty at 50 years old, they’re hiring you for your complexity and your talent alone. Certainly, women are more complex and interesting as they get older, and so are the roles.
What This Means For Grey’s Anatomy
Pompeo’s Part Has Been Scaled Back
There have been rumors of Pompeo leaving Grey’s for a while now after her role was significantly reduced in the most recent seasons. This is because the star wanted to look for new opportunities and spend more time with her family. This first began with season 19 when the character was still a series regular but was not the main focus. In season 20, Pompeo was not billed as a series regular and only appeared on-screen in five episodes. She has a more significant role in season 21, but the series still spends more time on the other characters.
Even then, this has led to the assumption that Pompeo might be leaving the show, especially as she pivots to new projects like Good American Family. While this update did not clarify the extent of her role in Grey’s Anatomy season 22, she makes it abundantly clear that she plans to still appear in this season and any future installments. Even showrunner Meg Marinis stated that Meredith is an essential part of the show, so Pompeo’s comment is a good sign that she will remain even in a recurring role. As of right now, her character remains in contact with staff members at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital and has a deep romantic arc with Dr. Nick Marsh (Scott Speedman).
Our Take On Ellen Pompeo’s Quote
She Has Already Taken Time For New Opportunities
Actress Ellen Pompeo as Kristine Barnett in Hulu’s Good American Family.
Even more interesting than Pompeo staying on Grey’s Anatomy is the impact that the series has had on her career trajectory. She has openly admitted that she has kept the role for over two decades due to financial stability. This fiscal success, however, has paved the way for her to take on a wider variety of roles in her career. This year, she exhibited this through her leading role in the limited series Good American Family. As she continues, it will be interesting to see what other network TV shows Pompeo has in store.
