Ellen Pompeo assures fans Meredith Grey will be back to visit. Image Source: US Weekly
Ellen Pompeo says goodbye to Grey’s Anatomy.
After portraying the character of Dr. Meredith Grey on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, actress Ellen Pompeo took to social media to share her final goodbye to the show but with an assurance to visit soon.
Ellen Pompeo stated on her social media post that she is forever thankful and awestruck by everyone else's love and encouragement since the show began in 2005 and has continued to back her, the character of Meredith Grey, and the show for 19 seasons. She stated that none of it would have been feasible without the greatest fans in the world.
The actress wrote that the fans are the riders, and they have managed to make the ride so fun and iconic. She further mentioned that she loves every fan of the show madly and appreciates them deeply, adding that this is not their first time on the rollercoaster and they know that the show must go on. Ellen assured fans that she would return to visit and ended with a lot of love and gratitude.
It was reported earlier that Ellen Pompeo will be reducing her time on-screen for the 19th season of the show and will only appear in a handful of episodes, but will remain on the show behind the scenes as an executive producer and narrate the series. The actress later spoke to Deadline and explained that she is always going to be a part of the show, adding that she is an executive producer and has spent two decades of her career on Grey’s Anatomy.
Ellen added that the show is her heart and soul, and she will never truly be gone as long as the show is on the air. She assured everyone that the show is going to be fine without her, although she did mention that there is no guarantee, she is going to be optimistic about the fact that the loyal fans of the show will surely watch it with or without her. Ellen also spoke to ET Online, where she explained that they are always trying to reinvent the show, which is a challenge at this point, and they have to keep in mind what the show means to the people who watch it.
The actress mentioned that the show has been a good piece of content for young people, and they are going to try to keep it going for them.
In September, Sarah Drew, who portrayed Dr. April Kepner on the show, shared with US Weekly that Ellen Pompeo has been working so hard as Meredith Grey for such a long time that it kind of makes sense if she wants to take a little break and pursue different projects but still keep her foot in the door. Jacy Elliot, who plays Taryn Helm on the show, said that even if the actress is not a part of the show, she is the DNA of the show, so she is always going to be a part of it.
Teasing the 19thseason, Taryn said that the audience will be meeting the new intern, who will remind everyone of the first generation of the intern, and this is something that they are sure everyone will like. Shonda Rhimes also commented on Ellen Pompeo's departure from the show, writing that it's been a wild ride these past 19 seasons, and none of it would have been possible without the actress, the one and only Meredith Grey.
Shonda wrote that, in true Grey’s Anatomy fashion, this is not a goodbye, but more like see you later, and mentioned that she cannot wait to see what is in store for Ellen, Meredith, and Grey Sloan Memorial.
ABC revealed the date of Ellen Pompeo's final episode earlier this month, teasing that "Meredith leaves Seattle to begin again." Meredith's decision to leave for Boston has been one of the season's plotlines. The winter premiere of the show, titled "I'll Follow the Sun," will air on February 23, 2019. "Big last day!" Meredith exclaims in the video.
Meredith decided to relocate to Boston for a new position at the Catherine Fox Foundation and enlist Zola in a school best suited to her needs, as audiences are aware. Her legendary family home was also destroyed by fire, having left nothing recoverable except a Post-it note with Meredith and Derek's vows.
Recently Patrick Dempsey who has portrayed the character of Dr. Derek Shepherd on the show was asked about Ellen Pompeo's exit from the show to which he jokingly said that maybe they finally caught her stealing the band-aids from the set after 19 seasons. He exited the show in 2015 after 12 seasons, said during an interview that it's amazing, the power of that show and how long it has lasted, and the impact it has had on people. Patrick added that the show changed his life profoundly and his family's too.
Meredith Grey will be back for the finale episode.
