Ellen Pompeo appears to be toying with our hearts once more. About a month after hinting that shes eyeing an exit from Greys Anatomy, currently in its 15th season, the actress tearfully discussed the shows impact on Ellen—and finished by saying, “I gotta keep doing it, man.” Maybe shes not quite ready to leave Seattle after all.
When Ellen DeGeneres brought up the possibility of Greys Season 16, Pompeo confirmed that she will, indeed, remain on the show to finish out her contract, which ends in 2020. She noted that the long-running hospital drama is as beloved as ever, even 15 seasons in: “And you know, these numbers, theres just no end in sight—with streaming, and the show is so popular.” Pompeo then recalled a recent episode she directed, in which a gay actor who grew up watching Greys got to play a gay teen on the series—a show he once used to help his parents understand what it means to have a gay son. “I gotta keep doing it, man, because were touching lives and making a difference,” Pompeo said.
Its only fair that after this many years, Pompeo would feel emotional about Greys—but were still not quite convinced shell actually be sticking around past Season 16. Back in September, as Pompeo discussed her possible exit, she sounded pretty resolute in her decision: “Im feeling like we have told the majority of the stories that we can tell,” Pompeo said. She added, “Im really excited to do some new things; its about time that I mix it up, and Im really excited about my producing career, and Im definitely looking for a change. My children are getting older, so I want to be more available to them now. I cant be an absentee mom if theyre teenagers—I have to be around to whip their butts.”
And that wasnt all: “Its definitely time for change in my life,” Pompeo said. “Im really looking forward to it, and thats the beauty of my situation. I have definitely played this out for everything that I possibly could. Ive given it 200 percent of my energy and my love and my time and my commitment and my dedication. . . I still care very much about the show, and I think that it takes a lot of energy. So at some point, I have to wrap it up.”
Perhaps, then, Pompeos mind really is made up, and shes simply feeling some understandable pre-exit nostalgia right now. After all, the show in its most recent episode hooked Meredith up with Ted Mosby. Who could blame anyone for running for the hills after that?
Get Vanity Fairs HWD NewsletterSign up for essential industry and award news from Hollywood.Laura BradleyLaura Bradley is a Hollywood writer for VanityFair.com.
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