Ellen Pompeo says she has no intention of cutting ties with Grey’s Anatomy, even after stepping back from a full-time role in the series. In a recent interview with El País, the actor explained that she continues to stay involved both for personal reasons and because of the scale of the show’s ongoing success.
“That would make no sense, emotionally or financially,” Pompeo said. “The show was streamed more than a billion times in 2024. More than a billion times.” She pointed to the continued profits generated from her work on the series, saying, “The companies that own the show and stream the show make a lot of money from our images and our voices and our faces.”
Pompeo, who has played Dr. Meredith Grey since the show’s premiere in 2005, said she sees no logic in removing herself entirely. “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.”
She also described the importance of the series to its viewers. “Emotionally, the show means a lot to people. I want to have an attitude of gratitude toward the show.”
Pompeo remains one of the only original cast members still associated with Grey’s Anatomy. While actors such as Patrick Dempsey, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, T. R. Knight, and Isaiah Washington have moved on, Pompeo has maintained both a creative and executive presence. Although she scaled back her on-screen involvement beginning with Season 19 in 2022, she continues to serve as an executive producer and provides narration for each episode.
ABC renewed Grey’s Anatomy for a 22nd season earlier this month. Pompeo is expected to appear in seven episodes during the current season. The show, created by Shonda Rhimes and Michelle Lirtzman, has aired more than 440 episodes since its debut in 2005.
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In addition to her work on Grey’s Anatomy, Pompeo currently stars in the Hulu limited series Good American Family, which she also executive produced. Speaking to El País, she described the project as a deliberate departure from her long-running role. “I was just looking for something that was very different from Meredith Grey, and this offer presented itself,” she said.
Pompeo’s contract negotiations and salary increases have made headlines in the past. In 2018, she signed a deal that reportedly made her one of the highest-paid women on television, following years of being paid less than co-star Patrick Dempsey during the show’s earlier seasons.
In a 2022 interview with Deadline, Pompeo spoke about her connection to the series. “I’m gonna always be a part of that show,” she said. “I’ve spent two decades of my career on that show, it’s my heart and soul, and I’ll never truly be gone as long as that show’s on the air.”
