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Ellen Pompeo REVEALS the practical reason why she hasn't left Grey's Anatomy: I made a decision to make money
Ellen Pompeo explained in an interview that for her, a healthy home life was more important than career. Hence, the 50-year-old actress made the decision to "make money, and not chase creative acting roles," by sticking with Grey's Anatomy for 16 seasons and counting.
Grey's Anatomy is a series which has had fans go on a roller coaster ride of emotions for 16 seasons and counting especially with the tearful goodbyes to many beloved cast members like T.R. Knight, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Chyler Leigh, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey and Justin Chambers. However, holding the ship is our very own Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey! If you're wondering as to why Pompeo hasn't hung up her white coat just yet, well the actress has a very practical reason for it.
During an episode of Jemele Hill is Unbothered podcast, Ellen shared that she's made choices to stay on the show as for her, a healthy home life was more important than career. Since she's didn't grow up with a "particularly happy childhood", the actress wanted to complete a happy home life with her great husband Chris Ivery and their three beautiful children - Eli, 3, Sienna, 5 and Stella, 10 - to close the hole in her heart. "And so I made a decision to make money, and not chase creative acting roles. I don't like chasing anything ever and acting to me, in my experience, was a lot of chasing," the 50-year-old actress confessed, via People.
Pompeo added, "You've got to chase roles, you've got to beg for roles, you've got to convince people... and although I produce and it's the same kind of thing, I think I still do it from a place of, I'm never that thirsty because I'm financially set."
Ellen may have understated her "financially set" salary as the actress makes a whopping USD 575,000 (annual paycheck of USD 20 million) per episode of Grey's Anatomy while also earning a producing fee on Station 19, Grey's Anatomy spinoff series. Pompeo is currently the highest-paid actress on a primetime drama.
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Ellen also explained how she started Grey's Anatomy in her 30s and had kids in her 40s. Hence, her age also played a factor in sticking with the medical drama for more than 15 years. If she were younger like 25, the actress would have left the show when she was 31-32 which is when her first six-year contract would have been up.
"I knew coming up on 40, it's like, I don't want to be out there chasing things, running after things, begging. I'd rather just see this as the blessing that it is," Pompeo reasoned and concluded, "Grey's has been a gift and I choose to see it that way."
