Grey’s Anatomy Star Desperate For Network To End The Show
A Grey's Anatomy star is actively campaigning the powers that be to end the long-running show. It's not a move you often see in the industry
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Ellen Pompeo doesn’t know how her character’s story will end on Grey’s Anatomy, but she knows her time on the show will end with her sitting atop a massive pile of money. Still, it seems the actress is ready for that end to come sooner rather than later. An interesting omission from someone who’s been doing this for what seems like forever.
Speaking to Insider, Pompeo explained that she’s one of the more vocal voices behind the scenes trying to get the powers that be to wrap up Grey’s Anatomy and give both it and her character, the titular Meredith Grey, a worthy sendoff. Pompeo told the outlet she’s actively trying to convince people to end the show, even as it remains one of ABC’s more lucrative franchises. However, she noted that any discussions about ending the show, or what story they’re ultimately telling when it comes to Meredith on Grey’s Anatomy are met with statements like “It makes a gazillion dollars.”
Indeed, not only does the show make bundles upon bundles of cash, but Pompeo herself is really raking in the dough after playing the main character on Grey’s Anatomy for 18 seasons. In 2017, The Hollywood Reporter notes that the actress worked hard to ink a deal with the network that makes her the highest-paid actress in primetime television at roughly $20 million a year. The outlet reported in 2018 that Pompeo was proud of that total, explaining that she had to fight an uphill battle with the powers that be to get that sum of money. She hoped it would encourage other women in show business to advocate for what they’re worth and not a dime more.
It’s worth noting that the outlet reported in May that her original $20 million per year deal was for seasons 16 and 17. In order to keep the show going for season 18, the network had to ink a new deal with Pompeo that, presumably, bumped that total up even more. However, it’s unclear exactly how much the Grey’s Anatomy star is making these days. Still, it seems that Pompeo feels she’s made enough money on Grey’s Anatomy and is ready for the challenge of putting a final button on a show that’s run way longer than anyone expected when it got its humble start on ABC in 2005.
For those unfamiliar, Grey’s Anatomy follows Meredith Grey and the revolving door of doctors, nurses, and surgeons who work at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital — which has undergone a few name changes since the series began but let’s keep it simple for now. Meredith is the daughter of a famous general surgeon and the series follows her acceptance into a residency program and the trials and tribulations a young woman has to go through in order to make it as a doctor in a major city.
While it may seem like a paint-by-numbers medical drama in the way of E.R. and even House, the truth is that Grey’s Anatomy has found that certain X factor that almost all shows wish they had. That said, longevity can be a show’s blessing and a curse. At a certain point, legacy shows like Grey’s Anatomy become more comfort food for their fans, a presence that’s always been around driven by fear of a world without something to watch Thursday nights. That said, when everyone working on a show has had their fill, people like Ellen Pompeo begin to wonder when they’ll be able to take on their last challenge with a character — saying goodbye.
