Everything ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Stars Have Said About the Show Continuing Without Ellen Pompeo

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Everything ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Stars Have Said About the Show Continuing Without Ellen Pompeo

Is it time to say goodbye to Meredith Grey? Ellen Pompeo has hinted several times that she would be fine with Grey’s Anatomy coming to an end, but the TV show continues to live on. The medical drama premiered on ABC in 2005 and Pompeo, has played the titular character, Meredith Grey, since the show's debut and remains on the show alongside her fellow original cast members Chandra Wilson (Miranda Bailey) and James Pickens Jr. (Richard Webber). In 2022 the series was renewed for a nineteenth season. “I didn’t ever think that I would stay on the show this long,” the actress said in an interview with Variety in April 2020. “It happened, and here I am. It’s been this incredible platform for me and allowed me to stay home with my kids so much and not travel and have the circus life of an actor.” In 2018, the medical drama’s leading lady spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about her battle with the network for more money and contract negotiations with her former costar Patrick Dempsey. [jwplayer fAbt1PcM-zhNYySv2] “For me, Patrick [Dempsey] leaving the show [in 2015] was a defining moment, deal-wise. They could always use him as leverage against me — ‘We don’t need you; we have Patrick’ — which they did for years,” the actress revealed to THR. “At one point, I asked for $5,000 more than him just on principle, because the show is Grey’s Anatomy and I’m Meredith Grey. They wouldn’t give it to me.” Dempsey ended up exiting the show in April 2015 after portraying Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd for nearly 11 years. After years of dedication, Pompeo went after what she wanted and what she deserved — a hefty pay increase and producer credits. According to a report from Forbes in 2020, the television star earns $550,000 per episode but also receives about $6 million per year from syndication profits, producing fees and office space on the Disney lot for her Calamity Jane production company. The mastermind behind the iconic medical show, Shonda Rhimes, said alongside Pompeo on several occasions that the long-running drama will end when the actress decides to walk away. “We’re getting there. Shonda and I will make that decision together,” the Catch Me If You Can actress exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2018. However, Rhimes took a step back and handed over showrunner responsibilities to executive producer Krista Vernoff when she decided to leave ABC to work for Netflix in 2017. Now, Vernoff has complete control of the series and will ultimately decide when it will be time to end the show. “I’ve been trying to focus on convincing everybody that it should end,” Pompeo told Insider during an interview in December 2021. “​I feel like I’m the super naive one who keeps saying, ‘But what’s the story going to be, what story are we going to tell?’” The Massachusetts native, who has been playing Dr. Meredith Grey on the ABC series for 16 years, noted that no one else seems to be worried about the storylines. “Everyone’s like, ‘Who cares, Ellen? It makes a gazillion dollars,’” she added. After the season 19 renewal, she said the creative team was considering how Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital could live on without her. "Listen, the show speaks to a lot of people, and the young people love the show," she told Entertainment Tonight in May 2022. "It’s inspired so many generations of healthcare workers, so, I think for the young people, it’s a really good piece of content and we’re going to try to keep it going for the young people, not necessarily with me, but keep it going beyond me.” In August 2022, it was reported that Pompeo would have a reduced role in season 19, appearing in just eight episodes. She will continue to executive produce and narrate each episode. Scroll down to see everything that Grey’s Anatomy stars have said about the show continuing without Ellen Pompeo: [podcast_block]

Credit: Shutterstock (2)

Everything ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Stars Have Said About the Show Continuing Without Ellen Pompeo

Is it time to say goodbye to Meredith Grey? Ellen Pompeo has hinted several times that she would be fine with Grey’s Anatomy coming to an end, but the TV show continues to live on. The medical drama premiered on ABC in 2005 and Pompeo, has played the titular character, Meredith Grey, since the show's debut and remains on the show alongside her fellow original cast members Chandra Wilson (Miranda Bailey) and James Pickens Jr. (Richard Webber). In 2022 the series was renewed for a nineteenth season. “I didn’t ever think that I would stay on the show this long,” the actress said in an interview with Variety in April 2020. “It happened, and here I am. It’s been this incredible platform for me and allowed me to stay home with my kids so much and not travel and have the circus life of an actor.” In 2018, the medical drama’s leading lady spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about her battle with the network for more money and contract negotiations with her former costar Patrick Dempsey. [jwplayer fAbt1PcM-zhNYySv2] “For me, Patrick [Dempsey] leaving the show [in 2015] was a defining moment, deal-wise. They could always use him as leverage against me — ‘We don’t need you; we have Patrick’ — which they did for years,” the actress revealed to THR. “At one point, I asked for $5,000 more than him just on principle, because the show is Grey’s Anatomy and I’m Meredith Grey. They wouldn’t give it to me.” Dempsey ended up exiting the show in April 2015 after portraying Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd for nearly 11 years. After years of dedication, Pompeo went after what she wanted and what she deserved — a hefty pay increase and producer credits. According to a report from Forbes in 2020, the television star earns $550,000 per episode but also receives about $6 million per year from syndication profits, producing fees and office space on the Disney lot for her Calamity Jane production company. The mastermind behind the iconic medical show, Shonda Rhimes, said alongside Pompeo on several occasions that the long-running drama will end when the actress decides to walk away. “We’re getting there. Shonda and I will make that decision together,” the Catch Me If You Can actress exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2018. However, Rhimes took a step back and handed over showrunner responsibilities to executive producer Krista Vernoff when she decided to leave ABC to work for Netflix in 2017. Now, Vernoff has complete control of the series and will ultimately decide when it will be time to end the show. “I’ve been trying to focus on convincing everybody that it should end,” Pompeo told Insider during an interview in December 2021. “​I feel like I’m the super naive one who keeps saying, ‘But what’s the story going to be, what story are we going to tell?’” The Massachusetts native, who has been playing Dr. Meredith Grey on the ABC series for 16 years, noted that no one else seems to be worried about the storylines. “Everyone’s like, ‘Who cares, Ellen? It makes a gazillion dollars,’” she added. After the season 19 renewal, she said the creative team was considering how Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital could live on without her. "Listen, the show speaks to a lot of people, and the young people love the show," she told Entertainment Tonight in May 2022. "It’s inspired so many generations of healthcare workers, so, I think for the young people, it’s a really good piece of content and we’re going to try to keep it going for the young people, not necessarily with me, but keep it going beyond me.” In August 2022, it was reported that Pompeo would have a reduced role in season 19, appearing in just eight episodes. She will continue to executive produce and narrate each episode. Scroll down to see everything that Grey’s Anatomy stars have said about the show continuing without Ellen Pompeo: [podcast_block]

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Kate Walsh

"I imagine she'll pop back in," Walsh told Entertainment Tonight in December 2022 about the future of the hit ABC series. "I don't know what they've got in mind."

She added: "I love what they've done this season. I love their whole take with the new interns. ... I think that construct itself, of the teaching hospital, the idea of the experts, the attendings are still fallible — that aspect is what the winning formula was, to watch people that are sort of mentoring others. There's something really powerful about that and I think that structure still works in the show."

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Patrick Dempsey

While appearing on a November 2022 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the actor had a funny conversation with the host about his former costar’s exit from the medical drama.

"She's leaving the show. I don't know if you heard, she got caught stealing Band-Aids from the set," the comedian quipped to Dempsey.

"Did she really? Finally, they caught her," Dempsey responded. "Can you imagine what she'd have in her house now from 19 seasons? A full hospital."

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Jaicy Elliot

“Even if she's not there, she's the DNA of the show,” the actress, who plays Taryn Helm, told Us Weekly in October 2022. “So, she's so present in the show. And you'll get to know the interns, and they remind me of the first generation [of interns]. The show very much what you want it to be. … It’s throwback. It’s really fun."

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Sarah Drew

In September 2022, Sarah Drew, who played April Kepner for more than eight seasons alongside Pompeo, exclusively spoke to Us Weekly about the news that Pompeo would only be in eight episodes of season 19.

"She's been working so hard in this role for so long," she told Us while promoting Lifetime's Reindeer Games Homecoming movie. "It makes sense that she wants to take a breather and pursue some other things — and still keep her foot in the door. I think that's great for [Pompeo]. I wish her the best."

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Kevin McKidd

In August 2022, the actor — who has portrayed Dr. Owen Hunt for 14 seasons — shared his thoughts on Pompeo taking a step back from her full-time role on the show. 

“Ellen has been the captain of this ship all these years, and she’s about to start producing, so she needed to make room in her schedule for that,” he told E! News’ Daily Pop at the time. “The fact that she’s not leaving the show and is just gonna scale it back a bit—what I think is beautiful about it is that it shows her love for the show still.”

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Ellen Pompeo

In May 2022, Pompeo opened up about how she can see the long-running ABC drama going on without her. "It's inspired so many generations of healthcare workers, so, I think for the young people,” the actress said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “It's a really good piece of content and we're going to try to keep it going for the young people, not necessarily with me, but keep it going beyond me."

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Jesse Williams

While on the red carpet for the 2022 Tony Awards, former Grey’s star Jesse Williams shared his thoughts on the future of the medical drama if Pompeo left the show before it officially ends. “I don't know, it would be a different show,” the actor shared to Access Hollywood in June 2022. “ She's the heart of that show. She's Grey. So, unlikely. But again, I don't work there anymore. So it doesn't matter what I think.”

In August 2022, the Station 19 alum responded to Pompeo’s decision to limit her onscreen role in the series moving forward. 

"That woman has worked so hard all year, every year for 20 years for that franchise," he told E! News' Daily Pop at the time. “Whatever time she takes off is well-earned, and I'm sure they have a master plan."

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Eric Dane

In June 2022, Eric Dane spoke out about Pompeo’s potential exit from the ABC show while on Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM show. “I don’t know,” Dane told Cohen during the radio interview. “That’s a good question. You know, is it the show that’s the star or is it Ellen that’s the star of the show and I, I don’t know. I think at this point, I think it could live without her, but I, I think it would be short-lived.”

Credit: Nino Muñoz/ABC

Chandra Wilson

“We've been very well-practiced over the seasons as to what happens when our characters move in and out of our show,” Wilson — who has starred as Miranda Bailey since season 1 — told Entertainment Tonight in October 2022. “It's always about the life of this hospital and all of the personalities that come through — from our series regular characters to our guest characters, the medical event or events of the episode. If anything evolves it's that, but the housing of it is the same.”

 She added: “We still will always have the overall theme of Meredith Grey — her eyes, that experience, sort of that intern experience. Always. It's always there and always peppered through, but in the midst of that is the life of the show that continues through each of the characters. And each time we bring on new personalities, our audience, they gravitate to that personality. They find somebody that they really [connect with].”