Ellen Pompeo, a/k/a Meredith Grey, finally opened up about why she left the hit TV series “Grey’s Anatomy” after 19 seasons.
The actress spoke to fellow actress Drew Barrymore about her exit from the popular medical drama after decades of dedicating most of her acting career to the ABC production.
On the latest episode of the “Drew Barrymore” show on Tuesday, Pompeo said that she felt super happy after leaving the show even though it has been good to her, and she loved the experience.
Pompeo told Barrymore that she had reached a point where she needed to switch it up a bit. The actress said that her 53-year-old brain was like scrambled eggs, and she needed to do something new in her career.
Talking about how long she had been on the show, she said that nineteen years was a long time to keep doing the same thing.
When she announced her exit last month, Pompeo penned a sweet message to her fans after appearing in one of her final episodes of season 19. She wrote a letter on Instagram telling her fans that it was not their first time on the rollercoaster and that the show must continue. She left them a parting gift saying that she would be back to visit the show on occasions.
Pompeo, a mother of three, told Barrymore that she is excited to spend more time with her children, 13-year-old Stella Luna, 8-year-old Sienna May, and 5-year-old Eli Christopher. She is also looking forward to starting the shoot for her new limited series, Orphan, which will be streaming on Hulu.
She clarified how important it is for her to spend time with her children, care for them and be present in their lives. She said they would start shooting the true story series in the spring.
The actress stepped back from the popular medical show to pursue other projects, including Orphan, which is the story of a couple who adopted a small child only to discover that she was a fully grown woman.
At the People’s Choice Awards last week, Pompeo said her character would grace people’s screens a few more times this season. After the winter break, she would be in one or two episodes and the season finale.
Her role as Meredith Grey in “Grey’s Anatomy,” ended its storyline with Meredith deciding to accept a job in a research center and leave Seattle for Boston. On the bright side, her ending wasn’t tragic, so the storyline leaves room for her to make guest appearances or make a complete comeback to the show.
Pompeo also talked enthusiastically about her romantic interests on the show, including Patrick Dempsey and Scott Speedman. She even called Speedman “very hot.”
In real life, Pompeo has been married for 15 years to Chris Ivery.
Pompeo’s final appearance on the show will be on February 23, but she will be seen in the 19th season finale. She will also continue as the series’ executive producer and continue narrating on the production.
Her former romantic co-star, Patrick Dempsey, a/k/a as McDreamy, commented on the show, and said, “It’s amazing, the power of that show and how long it’s lasted and the impact it’s had around the world, It’s changed my life profoundly and my family’s.” He exited the show after 12 seasons in 2015 and played the role of Meredith Gray’s husband, Dr. Derek Shepherd.
