Does Ellen Pompeo Really Want Grey's Anatomy To End?

When creator Shonda Rhimes first introduced us to the medical drama series "Grey's Anatomy" in 2005, viewers were also introduced to actors Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey, who played coworkers-turned-lovers Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd. 18 seasons later, the show has had a revolving door of cast members who weathered all sorts of dramatic storylines, including the death of Dempsey's character in Season 11.

Despite both Dempsey and Sandra Oh, who played the longtime character Cristina, leaving "Grey's Anatomy," Pompeo has held on to her lead role for nearly two decades. Over that span of time, the actor's other external appearances have been few and far between, with Pompeo's only other role being an animated doctor in a Disney show and an appearance in Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood" music video, according to her IMDB. With all of these factors, Pompeo's comments in a recent interview are making longtime fans wonder how she really feels about the show.

Ellen Pompeo has portrayed Meredith Grey on "Grey's Anatomy" for over 17 years, and she's seen many of her fellow castmates have left the show for bigger acting roles. Although Pompeo's salary is around $20 million for her single television role, according to Stylecaster, she recently opened up about how she, too, thinks it's time to wrap the series up for good.

During a December interview with Insider tied to the finished filming of Season 18, Pompeo spoke in-depth about her future plans. "I've been trying to focus on convincing everybody that it should end. ​I feel like I'm the super naive one who keeps saying, 'But what's the story going to be, what story are we going to tell?' And everyone's like, 'Who cares, Ellen? It makes a gazillion dollars,'" she said.

Pompeo also reiterated the potential ending to Entertainment Tonight just a few months prior at the Emmys in September. "I've been trying to get away for years. I have been trying. It's not because I haven't been trying," she explained. "I have strong relationships at the network and they have been very, very good to me, and have incentivized me to stay."