EXCLUSIVE: How Ellen Pompeo is Thriving After 'Grey's Anatomy' — After Freeing Herself of Her Years Inside Dr. Meredith's Head
Ellen Pompeo now stars in a new show... and it has nothing to do with hospitals.
April 11 2025, Published 8:00 p.m. ET
Ellen Pompeo is ready to shake off the stench of the Grey's Anatomy character she played on the small screen for 20 years, by embracing the next chapter of her career.
The TV actress has been open about how freeing it feels now that she's not attached at the hip with her character Dr. Meredith Grey, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Pompeo is ready to tackle the next chapter of her lengthy career.
Pompeo – who was regulated to guest appearances on the longtime medical drama in 2023 – has made it clear she does not regret taking a step back from the series, especially after noting 17-hour workdays became a major obstacle in spending time with her family.
The actress is married to music producer Chris Ivery, and shares three children: Stella, 15, Sienna, 10, and Eli, 8.
She told Drew Barrymore on her talk show: “It’s really important for me to be around for them and be more present for them. The show has been incredible to me, and I’ve loved a lot of the experience; it’s just, I gotta mix it up a little bit.”
The actress is tackling a new role on Hulu's 'Good American Family.'
Pompeo also admitted to having mom guilt over not being there as much as she wants for her family.
"You split into different pieces. You’re no longer just you," the 55-year-old said while on the Call Her Daddy podcast with Alex Cooper, but also acknowledged the benefits of being a working mother – she is all about her next TV series: Hulu’s Good American Family.
In the drama, Pompeo plays Kristine Barnett, a Christian mom-of-three who adopts Natalia (Imogen Faith Reid), a Ukrainian girl with dwarfism. However, there are big concerns about her age and identity.
“What was exciting for Ellen was that she was with this project from the ground up – and when it came to crunch time, nobody outworked her," an insider said on the role.
They continued: "Even though she had plenty of input on Grey’s casting over the years, this show was a chance to work alongside actors she’s admired and respected for many years, including Dulé Hill and Christina Hendricks.”
According to the source, Pompeo has big aspirations with her new role, looking it as a chance to really reinvent herself as an actor.
"Ellen has patiently waited for an opportunity like this since the early days of Grey’s – and this kind of material has a much better shot at winning awards than Grey’s ever did," the insider explained.
The TV star is looking at her new role as a chance to reinvent herself after spending years on 'Grey's Anatomy.'
They continued: "Ellen wants to take this thing to the Emmys this year; Hulu is even putting all of its firepower behind it, making sure Good American Family is promoted right alongside Grey’s on their streaming."
“Ellen’s not going to let any negativity get her down – she remains confident of the series’ success in the long term,” the source added referring to the program's rough reviews so far.
The Old School actress previously admitted how much of a risk it was to take on this new role after being TV's most well known doctor.
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"Yes, it's scary. It might be the craziest, dumbest thing. But I'm going to trust in the universe," she told the New York Times.
