Ellen Pompeo Says Grey’s Anatomy Is “Repetitive” For A Reason

This year marks two full decades of hospital disasters, on-call-room trysts, and endlessly swoon-worthy Mc-nicknamed surgeons on Grey’s Anatomy. Now, in her People cover story, Ellen Pompeo is getting refreshingly candid on what it’s meant to play Meredith Grey on the country’s longest-running primetime medical drama.

While promoting her new series Good American Family, Pompeo revealed the highs and lows of her record-setting tenure at the hospital formerly known as Seattle Grace. “The best thing is the financial security, if I’m being very honest,” she told the magazine. “It’s been really lucrative, and financial security is not something that every actress is afforded. So I’m very grateful for that.”

However, she acknowledged that it can be challenging to maintain status quo over such a long period. “The hardest thing is the repetitive nature of doing the same thing over and over,” she said. “You know, there’s a familiarity with Grey’s that people love. So, we can’t change it too much.”

Indeed, watching familiar patterns play out across the seasons is a time-honored Grey’s tradition, but as Pompeo notes, it can be tricky if it’s your job.

“I mean, I would love to change it so much. I’m always like, Let’s do this! And let’s do that! And they’re like, ‘Shut up, Ellen. We’re not doing that,’” she joked.

None of this is to say Pompeo doesn’t love the show. She said she’s “grateful” for her encounters with real-life doctors who felt led to the medical field thanks to Grey’s Anatomy. “Not many people get the opportunity to touch people the way that show has — for the better,” she said. “It brings people together.”

A Change Of Scenery

While Pompeo will still be on Grey’s when the show returns from its winter hiatus on March 6, she’s also celebrating something totally new. Playing Kristine Barnett in Good American Family — a limited series inspired by a headline-making adoption saga — marks her first lead role since Grey’s Anatomy.

“There’s a tremendous amount of pressure on me,” Pompeo recently told Vanity Fair of the new Hulu series, which premieres March 19. “Why would anybody believe that I could do anything other than play Meredith Grey, myself included?”

While it was a daunting challenge, Pompeo welcomed the opportunity. “I have not done anything new in 20 years. I have to go all in, there’s no half-assing it,” she said. “I have a lot to prove here.”