Ellen Pompeo has had quite the career on Grey’s Anatomy, which she has starred on since 2005.
The actress was born in Everett, Massachusetts, in November 1969 and later made her television debut in 1996 on Law & Order. Pompeo went on to star in several notable films including 2002’s Moonlight Mile and Catch Me If You Can, 2003’s Old School and 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
After appearing on the big screen, Pompeo landed her breakthrough role as Meredith Grey in Grey’s Anatomy, which debuted in 2005. The show became an instant success and earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Drama Series. Pompeo continued to star as a full-time cast member on the show for over 18 seasons before announcing in November 2022 that she was planning on taking a reduced role in the series.
“I am eternally grateful and humbled by the love and support you have all shown me, Meredith GREY and the show for 19 seasons!” Pompeo captioned an Instagram selfie at the time. “Through it all … none of it … would have been possible without the best fans in the world. You all are RIDERS and you all have made the ride so fun and ICONIC!!”
Keep scrolling to learn more about Pompeo’s life and career throughout the years:
2002
Before landing her breakout role on Grey’s Anatomy, Pompeo starred in several critically acclaimed films including 2002’s Moonlight Mile with Jake Gyllenhaal and 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with Jim Carrey.
2005
Pompeo was cast as Meredith Grey in Grey’s Anatomy, which quickly became a hit TV show. The critically acclaimed series has gone on for 20 seasons and more than 400 episodes. Pompeo became one of the highest-paid women in Hollywood, earning more than $20 million a year for her lead role.
“I knew I was f–ked,” Pompeo told The Hollywood Reporter in January 2018 about her initial thoughts on landing Grey’s Anatomy. “I was like, ‘I’m not going to be stuck on a medical show for five years. Are you out of your f–kin’ mind? I’m an actress.’”
2007
Pompeo married Chris Ivery after nearly four years of dating.
“They took us in this underground tunnel underneath City Hall … and you’re in the mayor’s office. Behind a bookshelf, a wall opens and then you just walk in and you’re in his office,” Pompeo recalled during a 2017 episode of Live With Kelly and Ryan. “No one knew, so we had that to ourselves.”
September 2009
A rep confirmed to Us Weekly that Pompeo and Ivery had welcomed their first child, a girl named Stella Luna.
October 2011
Pompeo launched her own production company called Calamity Jane, which has developed several television dramas for ABC including Personal Motives. In August 2022, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Pompeo will star and produce an untitled project for Hulu based on the true story of Natalia Grace.
October 2014
Pompeo revealed that she secretly welcomed her and Ivery’s second child, a baby girl named Sienna May, via surrogate.
“Sienna May welcome to the world,” she wrote via Instagram at the time. “We love you more than words can say.”
May 2015
Pompeo starred in Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” music video alongside several famous faces including Selena Gomez, Karlie Kloss, Mariska Hargitay, Jessica Alba, Lily Aldridge, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Lena Dunham, Ellie Goulding, Gigi Hadid, Martha Hunt, Kendrick Lamar, Serayah, Hailee Steinfeld, Hayley Williams and Zendaya. (Swift is a fan of Pompeo, even naming her cat Meredith after Pompeo’s Grey’s Anatomy character.)
December 2016
Pompeo and Ivery welcomed their third child, a son named Eli Christopher.
“Family and baby are all doing great,” a rep for the couple shared with Us at the time
August 2022
After over a decade of starring on Grey’s Anatomy, TVLine reported that Pompeo would take on a reduced role in season 19 of the series. She still would continue to executive produce and narrate every episode.
“I’m going to always be a part of that show,” she told Deadline in September 2022. “I’m an executive producer. I spent two decades of my career on [Grey’s Anatomy] – it’s my heart and soul. I’ll never truly be gone as long as [it’s] on the air.”