Ellen Pompeo Gets Real On Why She Still Can't Walk Away From Grey's Anatomy

After nearly two decades of scrubbing in as Meredith Grey, Ellen Pompeo finally lays out why she hasn't turned her back on Grey's Anatomy even after stepping back from her lead role in 2022. In a candid interview, the 55-year-old actress recently opened up about the emotional and financial reasons she has stayed tethered to the long-running medical drama. While her character's chaotic course has truly evolved over the years, Pompeo also confessed that she can't completely turn her back on Grey's Anatomy.

Ellen said, "The show was streamed more than a billion times in 2024. The companies that own the show and stream the show make a lot of money from our images, our voices, and our faces." Those remarks embody memories or sentiments and acute awareness of the economics behind the entertainment arc. For Pompeo, her choice to stay on the show, even if potentially not front and center, is about safeguarding the legacy of her two-decade career.

"To me, it doesn't make any sense that everybody else gets to profit off of my hard work," she continued. "And emotionally, the show means a lot to people. I want to have an attitude of gratitude toward the show." But it's not just about the paychecks. Ellen stressed that her connection to Grey's Anatomy is far more personal and profound than scripts and screen time. As one of the most famous female leads in TV history, Pompeo understands how influential her character has shaped viewers' lives worldwide.

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Pompeo's extended presence on Grey's is also a sign of a more contemporary approach to the concept of celebrity legacy. In a time when million-stream totals govern the cultural narrative, creators are more acutely conscious that their work makes money long after their hands stop being involved. By remaining attached to Grey's Anatomy, even in a part-time or producer role, Pompeo is not just honoring the fans' emotional investment but insisting on the value of her contributions.

Outside the OR, Ellen is also a mom to three kids, Stella Luna, 15, Sienna May, 10, and Eli Christopher, 8, whom she shares with husband Chris Ivery. Although her priorities have changed, her deep respect for the field that launched her career is strong. Her decision to stay near Grey's Anatomy isn't a refusal to move on. It's about realizing the weight of a legacy and how to safeguard it.

Ellen Pompeo might not be in every episode anymore, but her heart and business savvy are still very much in the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial. And so long as Grey's Anatomy pumps through television's cultural vein, so will Meredith Grey's arrival.