Ellen Pompeo Opens Up About Why She's 'Never Been Happier' — After 'Grey's Anatomy' Bosses Branded Her 'Show's Biggest Pest'
Ellen Pompeo has a new Hulu show, a big departure from her days on 'Grey's Anatomy.'
April 10 2025, Published 6:45 p.m. ET
Ellen Pompeo has declared she's never been happier in her life than she is right now, playing a very different character than Meredith Grey on a new limited series.
Pompeo's co-workers at Greys Anatomy are happy for her as well – especially if this means she will finally leave them alone, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Pompeo says she's happy to be playing a different character.
Pompeo only committed to seven Grey's episodes this season to focus on her Hulu series Good American Family, which premiered in March.
Inspired by the bizarre Natalia Grace case, the true-crime series focuses on a couple who adopt a 7-year-old Ukrainian orphan girl with dwarfism and later suspect she's a fully grown adult, triggering them to fear for their lives.
The 55-year-old told the New York Times that after more than two decades in hospital scrubs, she was thrilled to take on a new role.
"I've been dying for something else to do for years," she said. "I've always wanted another opportunity, I finally have it."
Her 'Grey's Anatomy' co-workers are happy to see her go.
The Golden Globe nominee said she was looking for a completely different role to sink her teeth into after playing likeable Dr. Meredith Grey for 21 seasons.
Pompeo explained: "Yes, it's scary. It might be the craziest, dumbest thing. But I'm going to trust in the universe."
As for Grey's, producers want her to enjoy her success... as long as it's somewhere else.
An insider told RadarOnline: "Bosses are so happy that Ellen has a new show and they're crossing fingers it keeps her ultra-busy because it might mean she'll stop meddling and perhaps finally make that clean break she's been talking about."
Pompeo has criticized her show, like when they paid Patrick Dempsey more per episode.
Pompeo went from series regular to recurring star after declaring her departure from Grey's in 2022.
But she's been an executive producer since the series began in 2005 – and while her episodes were limited this season, she has reportedly been a controlling nightmare.
"She must be in on meetings and know what's going on with the storylines and it's exhausting for everyone involved," our insider added. "She still wants star treatment even though she's really not the 'star' player anymore. The other cast members resent it, too."
They went on: "But with a little luck, Ellen will be tied down with the new show and her focus will be elsewhere, and she'll leave the good, hardworking people of Grey's alone because they're sick of her harping on them all the time."
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Pompeo has not been shy about taking shots at her star-making drama, and is still steamed that when she first got there, her pay wasn't close to some of her co-stars.
When Grey's Anatomy debuted Pompeo was relatively new to the industry, and her paychecks reflected that. Co-star Patrick Dempsey, who originated Dr. Derek 'McDreamy' Shepherd was paid $350,000 per episode, while Pompeo was pocketing around $200,000 per episode.
It's apparently still a sore subject for Pompeo, who recently told the Call Me Daddy podcast: "Being that I was the namesake of the show, I deserved the same (pay) and that was harder to get."
The star said she didn't hold it against Dempsey, explaining: "He was a bigger star than I was at that point. Everyone knew who he was, so he did deserve the money.
"I wasn’t salty about him getting what he got, I was salty that they didn’t value me as much as they valued him, and they never will."
