Ellen Pompeo has opened up about the real reason she has decided to stay on Grey’s Anatomy, while her co-stars have all left the series.
The actress, who plays Dr. Meredith Grey on the show, spoke on the Jemele Hill Is Unbothered podcast regarding her decision.
“For me, personally, a healthy home life was more important than career. I didn’t grow up with a particularly happy childhood” she admitted.
“So the idea that I have this great husband and these three beautiful children [and] a happy home life was really something I needed to complete, to close the hole in my heart,” Pompeo revealed. “And so I made a decision to make money, and not chase creative acting roles.” Currently, Pompeo ranks as one of the highest-earning actresses on television.
She continued: “I don’t like chasing anything ever, and acting to me, in my experience, was a lot of chasing. 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,” Pompeo concluded.
She also revealed that her age did help sway her decision to stay on the show. “If I started the show when I was younger, [like] 25, I probably would have dipped out when I was 31, 32, [when] my six-year contract was up, but my age had a lot to do with it,” she added.
Pompeo confirmed that she’s comfortable with her decision, concluding with: “I knew coming up on 40 [years old], 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.”