Ellen Pompeo Weighs in on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Possibly Continuing Without Her

Grey’s Anatomy may be looking ahead to another season, but could the long-running ABC medical drama eventually be moving forward without series lead Ellen Pompeo? Pompeo, who has starred as Dr. Meredith Grey since the series’ 2005 debut, recently opened up about her possible Grey’s exit and whether the show would continue without her.

The actress opened up about her character’s future at Grey Sloan Memorial hospital while speaking with Entertainment Tonight at Grey’s Anatomy‘s 400th episode red carpet event earlier in May. Asked whether or not she can see Grey’s going on without her, Pompeo teased, “We’ll see, we’ll see.” Reflecting on the show’s 18-season run, the actress admitted that “trying to reinvent the show and continually trying to reinvent the show is the challenge at this point, and listen, the show speaks to a lot of people, and the young people love the show.” However, Pompeo said that “we’re going to try to keep it going for the young people, not necessarily with me, but keep it going beyond me.”

The fate of Pompeo on Grey’s has long been a topic of discussion. Speaking with Dax Shepard on his Armchair Expert podcast in August 2021, the actress revealed that she has considered her eventual exit from the series. Pompeo explained that she wants “to dip out sooner rather than later, at this point, having done what we’ve done, to leave when the show is still on top, is definitely a goal. I’m not trying to stay on the show forever… The truth is, if I get too aggravated and I’m no longer grateful there, I should not be there.” She went on to add that she had not reached that point yet, though, and that she treats work like “a marathon, not a sprint.”

Pompeo is one of just three actors who remain on the show since Season 1, with Chandra Wilson, who portrays Dr. Miranda Bailey, and James Pickens Jr., who stars as Dr. Richard Webber, also original characters. While it remains unclear just how much longer Pompeo will remain on the series, or just how long the series will run, one thing is confirmed – Pompeo will be back as Dr. Grey in Grey’s Anatomy Season 19. ABC officially greenlit a new season back in January, the network at the time also confirming that Pompeo would continue to star. Grey’s Anatomy is already the longest-running primetime medical drama in U.S. television history and anchors ABC’s Thursday night lineup. Season 19 will debut during the fall 2022 TV season.