Ellen Pompeo will not leave 'Grey's Anatomy' because it would "make no sense, emotionally or financially".

The 55-year-old actress has played Meredith Grey for 20 years and although, in 2022, she re-negotiated her contract to reduce the amount of episodes she appears in per season to spend more time with her family, Ellen will not wave goodbye to her MD alter ego completely because the medical drama still remains enormously popular and successful.

The popularity of 'Grey's Anatomy' was proven by the show achieving over a billion streams in 2024.

Discussing the possibility of leaving the show she has led since 2005, Ellen said: "That would make no sense, emotionally or financially. The show was streamed more than a billion times in 2024. More than a billion times.

"The companies that own the show and stream the show make a lot of money from our images and our voices and our faces. If I were to walk away completely, everybody gets to make money from my hard work for 20 years and I wouldn't make any money.

"To me, it doesn't make any sense that everybody [else] gets to profit off of my hard work. And emotionally, the show means a lot to people. I want to have an attitude of gratitude toward the show."

Ellen has been extremely grateful to have the extra time with her music producer husband Chris Ivery and their three children, daughters Stella and Sienna and son Eli, since reducing her workload on 'Grey's Anatomy.

In an interview with Spanish publication El Pais, she said: "I've been doing it for 20 years, so it was time to step away. I have three children and I love spending time with them and I love being involved in their lives. I'm very lucky to be able to get to work sometimes and take time off. I have a nice balance in my life."

The reduction of her episodes on 'Grey's Anatomy' has also allowed Ellen to pursue some other roles and she can be seen as the main character in Hulu's 'A Good American Family' which is based on the true story of Natalia Grace, a young Ukrainian girl with a rare form of dwarfism who, in 2010, was adopted by an American couple, Kristine and Michael Barnett.

After a series of disruptive episodes involving knives and some signs the girl was older than aged seven, Michael and Kristine came to the conclusion that Natalie was, in fact, an adult and petitioned the Marion County, Indiana court to have her legally recognised as an adult, and left her to live in an apartment by herself.

A legal battle ensued in order to prove Natalia's real age and the series tells the story from all sides.

Ellen decided to take on the role of Kristine Barnett, Natalia's adoptive mother, because she is so different to Meredith Grey.

She said: "I was just looking for something that was very different from Meredith Grey, and this offer presented itself.

"People have been watching me in the same role for 20 years. I've been playing the same role for 20 years. I had no reason to believe that I could do anything else. I hadn't tested myself in 20 years and I can't expect my audience to believe me as anything else. If I'm going to ask them to watch me as a new character, then I'd better deliver on all fronts.

"It was at the same time thrilling and terrifying."