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Ellen Pompeo on why she thinks ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ ‘should end’

After starring as Dr. Meredith Grey for 18 seasons, the actor is trying to convince others that the popular show shouldn't continue.

After starring on "Grey's Anatomy" as the highly-intelligent Dr. Meredith Grey for the past 16 years, Ellen Pompeo thinks it's time for the popular show to be over.

“I’ve been trying to focus on convincing everybody that it should end,” Pompeo told Insider on Saturday.

However, the "Grey's" star said that she hasn't been having any luck. The show, which premiered in March 2005, is still popular amongst many fans.

ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" - Season Eighteen
Ellen Pompeo has played character, Dr. Meredith Grey on "Grey's Anatomy" since 2005.Liliane Lathan / ABC via Getty Images

“​I feel like I’m the super naive one who keeps saying, ‘But what’s the story going to be, what story are we going to tell?’” she said. “And everyone’s like, ‘Who cares, Ellen? It makes a gazillion dollars.’”

In October 2020, Pompeo thought about seriously leaving the series after its 17th season. Her contract with ABC was about to be up and she thought the hit medical drama had run its course.

“We don’t know when the show is really ending yet,” she told Variety at the time. “But the truth is, this year could be it.”

Shonda Rhimes, "Grey's Anatomy" creator, also noted that she might not be interested in continuing the show if Pompeo walked away.

“I don’t take the decision lightly,” she said. “We employ a lot of people, and we have a huge platform. And I’m very grateful for it.”

Ellen Pompeo (second to the left) appears with her co-stars and the cast of "Grey's Anatomy."
Ellen Pompeo (second to the left) appears with her co-stars and the cast of "Grey's Anatomy."Frank Ockenfels / Disney General Entertainment Con

Although Pompeo had some reservations about the longevity of "Grey's Anatomy," she renewed her contract with ABC in May so she could continue playing Dr. Meredith Grey for at least another season.

The news excited many fans and it pushed Pompeo, who is also a producer on the series, to make the show even better than it was before.

“The show, at its core, brings people together,” she told Variety. “And the fact that people can come together and watch the show, and think about things they may not have ordinarily thought about, or see things normalized and humanized in a way that a lot of people really need to see — it helps you become a better human being. If this show has helped anybody become a better human being, then that’s the legacy I’d love to sit with.”

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