Ellen Pompeo

As the introspectively witty Meredith Grey on ABC’s primetime drama Grey’s Anatomy, Ellen Pompeo has captured viewers’ hearts with her mild-mannered and fun-loving personality, both on-screen and off.

Born in 1969 in Everett, Mass., Pompeo’s first major gig was starring in the film Moonlight Mile alongside Susan Sarandon and Dustin Hoffman, before taking part in later box office successes including Old School.

Pompeo was lauded for her work on Grey’s–her first starring role in a TV series— when she was nominated for a 2007 Golden Globe award in the Best Actress category.

The actress married record producer Chris Ivery in a small, quick ceremony at city hall in New York. Pompeo and Ivery welcomed a baby girl named Stella Luna Pompeo Ivery in September 2009.