I Don’t Always Have A Say

Ellen Pompeo has revealed she was upset with one key Grey’s Anatomy storyline because she felt Meredith’s decision was uncharacteristic of her. Pompeo has been portraying Mererdith Grey since the very start of the show, continuing to have a major role in the cast of Grey’s Anatomy even after stepping down as a series regular. Across 21 seasons of the medical drama, she’s dealt with a number of obstacles, personal struggles, and patients whose lives she’s managed to save, sometimes even when doing something that doesn’t align with the rules.

Speaking with Variety, Pompeo revealed she was upset by the storyline in Grey’s Anatomy season 21, where Meredith tried getting Dr. Evynn Moore’s (Lena Waithe) wife a liver transplant without disclosing her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. The actor was unhappy with the storyline because Meredith tells UNOS and the board about what’s going on, something she never would have done in the past:

I don’t always have a say in the choices the character makes. And writers will initially service a plot before they might stop to think, ‘Would the Meredith Grey that [Ellen] built — would she make that choice?’ I recently had this happen this past season where I was deeply against a choice that Meredith was making.

My problem with that storyline was the Meredith Grey that I’ve created would have always been like, ‘I’m pissed that you lied, [but] let’s figure out how to game the system together to get you this f***ing liver. F*** the system. The system is broken. Instead, Meredith chooses, for some reason, to be mad and snitch and tell UNOS and tell the board that she lied and that she shouldn’t get the liver — when Meredith has subverted the system for 20 years to do the right thing. She’s done free surgeries, whatever it takes, to actually heal and help people.

She ended up speaking with Waithe about it, understanding how the storyline helped bolster Meredith’s love interest, Nick Marsh (Scott Speedman). She still adds that her speaking about the plot that she was unhappy about came from a place of love for the show, and wanting it to be the best version of the series it can be. Check out more of what Pompeo had to say below:

I think at the end of the day, Meg [Marinis], who’s the showrunner, Debbie and Shonda all recognize that all of my outspokenness about the creative on the show is all out of a place of caring deeply about the show,” Pompeo says. “I see my job as trying to keep Shonda Rhimes’ legacy as good and solid as we can and the minute you stop caring or phoning it in or getting lazy, we’re not really doing what we’ve been paid to do.

What Pompeo’s Sentiments Say About Her Passion For Grey’s Anatomy

She Wants Meredith’s Story To Feel True To Her Character

The recent Meredith storyline in Grey’s Anatomy season 21 saw her following protocol despite the exception she could have made to save Moore’s wife without any of the added drama with the board. Ultimately, though, it served as an important part of her character journey, even though the decisions she made weren’t necessarily ones Pompeo agreed were in character. Her reaction to the two-part episode’s events emphasizes her passion to accurately portray her character, even when writers on the show have her doing something different.

She’ll continue to get a chance to shine as well, with Grey’s Anatomy season 22 already confirmed to see her come back to her role. It’s been confirmed that she will appear in seven episodes across the upcoming season, continuing her limited capacity of appearances while ensuring she’s still a key part of the series regardless. It means she’ll still have plenty of stories in the future where Meredith’s decisions make sense to Pompeo, bolstering her role in the story in ways that align with how she’s been established.

Our Take On Pompeo’s Reaction To Meredith’s Recent Storyline

It Makes Sense She’d Want Her Character To Be Accurate

Having portrayed Meredith for over two decades, it makes sense for Pompeo to be passionate when she believes the way her character is being written doesn’t accurately reflect who she truly is. Her time playing the doctor means she’ll likely offer similar scrutiny to future Grey’s Anatomy episodes that don’t align with how she’s been established this whole time. As for future stories, only time will tell if they’re going to be just as accurate to who she is, or result in changes to who she’s become.

New episodes of Grey’s Anatomy air Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.

Source: Variety

Grey’s Anatomy

9/10

Release Date

March 27, 2005

Directors

Rob Corn, Kevin McKidd, Debbie Allen, Chandra Wilson, Allison Liddi-Brown, Jeannot Szwarc, Tony Phelan

Writers

Shonda Rhimes, Julie Wong, Jen Klein, Tameson Duffy, Meg Marinis

• 

  Ellen Pompeo

  Dr. Meredith Grey

• 

  Chandra Wilson

  Dr. Miranda Bailey