Ellen Pompeo Grey’s Anatomy(Photo Credit –Instagram)
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It was back in 2005 when Grey’s Anatomy first aired and since then it has turned into a phenomenon, a cultural reset that became a part of people’s lives. The medical drama series is still airing successfully, 20 years later. Ellen Pompeo, who plays Meredith Grey, is still a crucial part of the show.
The series has more than 400 episodes and was recently renewed for its 22nd season but that doesn’t mean the actress has any plans to let go of the show that made her a star. Even though she doesn’t feature as much on it as earlier, Ellen recently revealed why she refuses to exit from it.
Grey’s Anatomy: Why Does Ellen Pompeo Refuse To Leave Popular Medical Drama As Meredith Grey?
During a conversation with El Pais, the award-winning actress revealed why she has no plans to say goodbye to Grey’s Anatomy. She said, “That would make no sense, emotionally or financially. The show was streamed more than a billion times in 2024. More than a billion times,” she reiterated to express just how massive the viewership and demand for it remains.
Ellen continued, “The companies that own the show and stream the show make a lot of money from our images and our voices and our faces.” And if she did walk away from the iconic series, “everybody gets to make money from my hard work for 20 years and I wouldn’t make any money.” That is why she doesn’t see any reason to leave the show she led to success.
The 55 year old added, “To me, it doesn’t make any sense that everybody 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 that doesn’t mean she had the time to be a fully active member of the show after all these years. In 2022, she changed her contract to suit her life.
Ellen reduced the number of episodes she needed to appear in during a season. She is still the executive producer and the narrator of the hit show. The actress 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,” referring to the need for some balance.
She expressed how lucky she was that she got to work while also being in a position to take time off when needed. Ellen recently also starred in A Good American Family on Hulu. “I was just looking for something that was very different from Meredith Grey, and this offer presented itself,” she said. Ellen added it was time for something new after 20 years as Meredith Grey.
