After 19 seasons at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, Ellen Pompeo is bidding adieu to her “Grey’s Anatomy” character. The ABC star, whose final dates for the show were announced last week, shared an Instagram post in which she said she’ll “definitely be back to visit.”
“I am eternally grateful and humbled by the love and support you have all shown me, Meredith GREY and the show for 19 seasons! 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!!” the Golden Globe nominated actress began.
In August, it was announced that Pompeo would star in and executive produce an as-yet untitled limited series at Hulu based on a true story of a Midwestern couple who adopts what they believe is an 8-year-old girl with a rare form of dwarfism. As a result of the eight-episode ABC Signature series, Pompeo us only appearing in eight of the episodes for Season 19, the majority of which have already aired. She’s slated to return for the “Grey’s” Feb. 23 midseason premiere post hiatus, as well as the season finale.
The move is in line with her character’s previous arcs, which saw her in limited scenes in Season 17 as a result of Meredith’s bout with COVID, as well as the Minnesota-based research of Parkinson’s disease she conducted the season afterward. The actress — who is also an executive producer on the long-running medical procedural — has been vocal about wanting to move on in her career, though she has maintained that the show will remain close to her.
She concluded in her note, “I love you madly and appreciate you right back. This isn’t your first time on the rollercoaster… you know the show must go on and I’ll definitely be back to visit. With a lot of love and immense gratitude XoE ??❤️”
