Ellen Pompeo is keeping it real when it comes to aging in Hollywood. The 55-year-old Grey’s Anatomy star, who now leads Hulu’s new drama Good American Family, says actresses in their 50s finally get hired based on talent – not looks.
“When you’re young in Hollywood, they want your talent and your beauty,” she told El País. “But at 50? They’re not hiring you for your beauty anymore. They’re hiring you for your complexity, your experience, your talent.”
Ellen’s been in the game long enough to know how it works – and she’s calling out the way the industry shifts for women as they age. According to her, the roles only get more interesting when actresses hit their 50s. Why? Because women become more complex, and so do the characters they play.
And while she’s one of the highest-paid women on TV thanks to Grey’s Anatomy, she didn’t always get what she deserved. Ellen revealed she was earning less than co-star Patrick Dempsey for years, highlighting how far women still have to go when it comes to equal pay.
“I’m not some solo warrior,” she said. “It takes all of us women standing up for each other. I’ve had amazing women support me over the years, and I try to do the same. We’ve gotta learn how to use our voices together.”
Even though she stepped back from her full-time role on Grey’s in 2022, she still does voiceovers as Meredith Grey and doesn’t plan to walk away from the show completely. Why? It still makes serious money.
“It was streamed over a billion times in 2024,” she said. “The studios are making bank off our work, so why would I just walk away and let them keep profiting without me? That wouldn’t make any sense – emotionally or financially.”
And she’s got no bitterness about it – just gratitude. “The show means a lot to people. I’m proud of that. I want to stay connected to something that’s helped so many folks for so long.”