Image Source: Everett Collection
Fans of “Grey’s Anatomy” know the show won’t be the same without Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey, but the long-running medical drama made sure her farewell served as the perfect goodbye. But is this really the end for Meredith?
As previously reported by Variety, viewers have seen a lot less of Dr. Grey in season 19 due to the actor’s role in a forthcoming Hulu show, which still remains untitled, and she officially departed the show in its Feb. 23 episode. However, according to “Grey’s Anatomy” executive producer Debbie Allen, who also plays Catherine Fox, this isn’t the last we’ll hear of her.
“A lot of people have a lot to say,” Allen told “Entertainment Tonight” of Meredith’s midseason exit. “You know, Meredith Grey is taking a journey to another direction, [but] she’s still alive. She’ll still be coming back to the show. But she is definitely taking a departure.” She added: “The truth is, it’s not her last episode. [She’s] leaving Grey Sloan [Memorial Hospital], not ‘Grey’s Anatomy.'”
Allen said that it’s “a big deal for all of us not to have her on set [every day] like normal,” adding: “But she’s there. I mean, she’s still buying food trucks for the crew. She’s still coming to judge bake-offs, she’s still our number one on the call sheet,” she shared with a smile.
Although viewers won’t physically see Pompeo’s character on “Grey’s Anatomy” anymore (at least for now), she’ll still be narrating every episode, and the actor will continue to serve as one of the show’s executive producers.
Ahead of her final goodbye on “Grey’s Anatomy,” Pompeo shared a message to fans in a Nov. 17 Instagram post celebrating her time on the series. “I am eternally grateful and humbled by the love and support you have all shown me, Meredith GREY and the show for 19 seasons!” the actor wrote. “Through it all . . . none of it . . . would have been possible without the best fans in the world. You all are RIDERS and you all have made the ride so fun and ICONIC!! I love you madly and appreciate you right back.”
Pompeo also hinted at her potential return to the show. “This isn’t your first time on the rollercoaster,” she added. “You know the show must go on and I’ll definitely be back to visit. With a lot of love and immense gratitude XoE 🙏🏼❤️”.
As for Pompeo’s upcoming Hulu role, the streamer has green-lit eight episodes centered around a Midwestern family who adopt who they think is an 8-year-old girl with a rare form of dwarfism. However, they soon begin to question her identity, throwing their own relationships into turmoil as they discover that she might not be exactly who she says she is.
The show is based on the true story of a woman named Natalia Grace Barnett, whose official age was changed from 8 to 22 in a 2012 court order, per Journal & Courier, though the case has continued to develop since then. In addition to acting in the show, Pompeo also serves as an executive producer, working alongside Katie Robbins (“The Affair”), Erin Levy (“Mad Men”), and a few other members of her Calamity Jane production company.
Though this means less screen time for Meredith Grey, this certainly isn’t the end of Pompeo’s career.
