The reason why the original stars of Grey’s Anatomy were disappointed with the series
Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo grew weary of her character, Meredith Grey’s, lack of evolution during her time on the hit medical drama.
Ellen Pompeo says the most frustrating aspect of Grey’s Anatomy was Meredith Grey’s inability to make any of her relationships work.
“One of my frustrations is the Nick and Meredith of it all,” Pompeo said during Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series with her former Grey’s Anatomy co-star Katherine Heigl. “Scott Speedman plays Meredith’s love interest, Nick Marsh, and I love Speedman. He’s fantastic. And somehow, Meredith can’t figure out how to make a relationship work still after all this time. And I guess if she were to make it work, then where’s the conflict?”
Why Ellen Pompeo Left Grey’s Anatomy
While Pompeo doesn’t think Grey’s Anatomy needed to avoid conflict in Meredith’s relationships entirely, she believes that the subject could have been approached with more complexity as the seasons progressed. “It’s not that I don’t think there shouldn’t be conflict. There should be conflict. I guess I just have different ideas about what the conflict should be,” she continued. Although Pompeo understands how easy it is for characters to get stuck in a loop during a long-running series, as an actress, she needs more.
“When you stay on a show and with a character that long… for me, I really need to make sense of things, and I really need to see evolution and growth,” Pompeo explained. “And with network television specifically, there has to be some consistency for the audience. The audience wants familiarity. The writers get stuck in the consistency of something, and it’s harder, which I always would argue against and say, ‘We have such an incredible fan base. They’re so loyal. They’ll literally come along with us no matter what we do.’ I think it’s okay for Meredith to stop making bad decisions.”
Pompeo decided to step down from her long-standing series regular role on Grey’s Anatomy halfway through Season 19. However, she still narrates each episode of the popular procedural medical drama. The door remains open for the actress to return to the show whenever possible. “I will be making some appearances hopefully next year if I can find some time,” Pompeo added. Meredith Grey was last seen in the Season 19 finale.
Created by Shonda Rhimes, Grey’s Anatomy premiered on ABC in March 2005. The show follows the personal and professional lives of surgical interns, residents, and attending physicians at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, initially known as Seattle Grace Hospital. For 18 seasons, the series primarily focuses on Dr. Meredith Grey, the daughter of a renowned surgeon.
Season 19 of Grey’s Anatomy is available to stream on Hulu.
