‘Gray’s Anatomy’ Stars’ Ideas on Ellen Pompeo Leaving

Is it time to say goodbye to Meredith Gray? Ellen Pompeo has hinted a number of occasions that she can be advantageous with Grey’s Anatomy coming to an finish, however the TV present continues to stay on.

The medical drama premiered on ABC in 2005 and Pompeo, has performed the titular character, Meredith Gray, for the reason that present’s debut and stays on the present alongside her fellow authentic forged members Chandra Wilson (Miranda Bailey) and James Pickens Jr. (Richard Webber). In 2022 the collection was renewed for a nineteenth season.

“I didn’t ever assume that I might keep on the present this lengthy,” the actress mentioned in an interview with Variety in April 2020. “It occurred, and right here I’m. It’s been this unimaginable platform for me and allowed me to remain residence with my youngsters a lot and never journey and have the circus lifetime of an actor.”

In 2018, the medical drama’s main woman spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about her battle with the community for more cash and contract negotiations together with her former costar Patrick Dempsey.

“For me, Patrick [Dempsey] leaving the present [in 2015] was a defining second, deal-wise. They may all the time use him as leverage towards me — ‘We don’t want you; now we have Patrick’ — which they did for years,” the actress revealed to THR. “At one level, I requested for $5,000 greater than him simply on precept, as a result of the present is Gray’s Anatomy and I’m Meredith Gray. They wouldn’t give it to me.” Dempsey ended up exiting the show in April 2015 after portraying Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd for practically 11 years.

After years of dedication, Pompeo went after what she needed and what she deserved — a hefty pay enhance and producer credit. Based on a report from Forbes in 2020, the tv star earns $550,000 per episode but additionally receives about $6 million per 12 months from syndication earnings, producing charges and workplace house on the Disney lot for her Calamity Jane manufacturing firm.

The mastermind behind the long-lasting medical present, Shonda Rhimes, mentioned alongside Pompeo on a number of events that the long-running drama will finish when the actress decides to stroll away. “We’re getting there. Shonda and I’ll make that call collectively,” the Catch Me if You Can actress exclusively told Us Weekly in Might 2018.

Nevertheless, Rhimes took a step again and handed over showrunner obligations to govt producer Krista Vernoff when she determined to depart ABC to work for Netflix in 2017. Now, Vernoff has full management of the collection and can finally resolve when will probably be time to finish the present.

“I’ve been attempting to give attention to convincing all people that it ought to finish,” Pompeo advised Insider throughout an interview in December 2021. “​I really feel like I’m the tremendous naive one who retains saying, ‘However what’s the story going to be, what story are we going to inform?’”

The Massachusetts native, who has been playing Dr. Meredith Grey on the ABC collection for 16 years, famous that nobody else appears to be frightened concerning the storylines. “Everybody’s like, ‘Who cares, Ellen? It makes a gazillion {dollars},’” she added.

After the season 19 renewal, she mentioned the inventive workforce was contemplating how Gray Sloan Memorial Hospital might stay on with out her. “Pay attention, the present speaks to lots of people, and the younger folks love the present,” she told Entertainment Tonight in Might 2022. “It’s impressed so many generations of healthcare staff, so, I feel for the younger folks, it’s a extremely good piece of content material and we’re going to attempt to hold it going for the younger folks, not essentially with me, however hold it going past me.”

In August 2022, it was reported that Pompeo would have a reduced role in season 19, showing in simply eight episodes. She’s going to proceed to govt produce and narrate every episode.

Scroll right down to see all the things that Gray’s Anatomy stars have mentioned concerning the present persevering with with out Ellen Pompeo: