‘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 could be nice with Gray’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, because the 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 sequence was renewed for a nineteenth season.

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

In 2018, the medical drama’s main girl 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 might all the time use him as leverage in opposition to me — ‘We don’t want you; we now 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 present in April 2015 after portraying Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd for practically 11 years.

After years of dedication, Pompeo went after what she wished and what she deserved — a hefty pay enhance and producer credit. In keeping with 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 income, 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 solely advised 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 go away ABC to work for Netflix in 2017. Now, Vernoff has full management of the sequence and can in the end determine when it will likely be time to finish the present.

“I’ve been making an attempt to deal with convincing everyone 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 taking part in Dr. Meredith Gray on the ABC sequence for 16 years, famous that nobody else appears to be apprehensive 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 group was contemplating how Gray Sloan Memorial Hospital may stay on with out her. “Pay attention, the present speaks to lots of people, and the younger individuals love the present,” she advised Leisure Tonight in Might 2022. “It’s impressed so many generations of healthcare staff, so, I believe for the younger individuals, it’s a extremely good piece of content material and we’re going to attempt to hold it going for the younger individuals, not essentially with me, however hold it going past me.”

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

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