TV Verdict

Season Five of Grey’s Anatomy hits store shelves today, to celebrate we’ve got an interview with star Ellen Pompeo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

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The successful career of Ellen Pompeo has seen her appear in a number of movies including Moonlight Mile, alongside Dustin Hoffman and Jake Gyllenhaal, and Catch Me If You Can, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. However, that was before the talented actress signed up to play Meredith Grey on the award-winning drama, Grey’s Anatomy. Here, the fan favorite gives us an insight into the challenges of working on a long-running television series and the tabloid tales that surround it…

How does it feel to be working on the fifth season of Grey’s Anatomy?

ELLEN POMPEO: It feels great. These five years have flown by. It doesn’t feel like it’s flying by when you’re working because it’s such a long season and we put in so many hours every day, but we’re very grateful that the fans are still interested in watching our show.

What have you learned about yourself after being on the show for so long?

ELLEN POMPEO: I don’t know if I’ve learned anything about myself. I guess the show has taught me that I have a level of endurance I never thought I’d have. You need endurance when you’re working these long hours, which is different from any other acting job I’ve had – especially movies. When you work on a movie, you spend three months working away – but then you leave and you don’t necessarily see the people again. With Grey’s Anatomy, we’ve been together for ten months out of ever year. We’ve all worked together every single day, all day long, for five years. You really have to work on your relationships and nurture your friendships to create a healthy environment for yourself.

Is it like working with a big, dysfunctional family for five years?

ELLEN POMPEO: I have to watch what I say here because anything I mention can be blown out of proportion. For the most part, we have to be somewhat functional or we wouldn’t be here for five years. But with any job, things happen and there are problems. Sometimes we lose people along the way, and people come and people go. It’s just like a normal job in that respect – except we’re more exposed to the world. Everything that happens here gets national attention. The problems can happen in any workplace, but we have a huge spotlight on things when they happen to us.

Why do you think people like to talk about the show and its actors?

ELLEN POMPEO: At the end of the day, the fact that people are talking about us is a good thing. I think it’s wonderful that the fans still care. The fact that the press still reports what we do or what happens here is ultimately a good thing because we’re so lucky to still be here and it shows there’s interest in everything we’re creating. So many television shows don’t make it past four episodes, but the fact that we’re still here five years later is very rare. The fans are still tuning in and we’re still a top ten show. We couldn’t be happier.

Have your medical skills improved after working on the show for so long?

ELLEN POMPEO: You pick up the little things, but I don’t know too much. If someone is sick, they need to see a real doctor – not me. Medical terms start to sound familiar after five years and you start to understand certain procedures and why they do them, but that’s about it.

Are you relieved that Meredith is less dark and twisted in season five?

ELLEN POMPEO: I don’t know about that. I go to the execution of a serial killer in season five, so I don’t know that I’m any less dark and twisted. That’s a pretty dark thing to do.

Can you talk about the relationship between your character and Melissa George’s character, Sadie Harris, when she is introduced in season five?

ELLEN POMPEO: Sure. I love Melissa. She’s so talented and I was very sad to see her go, but I thought that was a great little look into our past. I’m sad it had to be so short, but we enjoyed her at the time she was here.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen written about yourself in the press? Has anything made you laugh?

ELLEN POMPEO: I don’t really know. I hope I don’t get written about that much. In fact, I don’t think I do because I tend to stay out of stuff like that. I try to do everything pretty low-key, so there’s nothing I can think of that’s made me laugh. I don’t really read the tabloids, though.

You’ve talked in the past about the way you don’t like the tabloids commenting on your weight…

ELLEN POMPEO: Yes. Well, I find it absurd – especially if you saw my credit card bills from eating out at restaurants. You know what? I hesitate to say that’s funny because eating disorders are a very serious issue. There are a lot of young girls who watch the show and you have to be very careful, so I don’t want to make light of eating disorders. I think it’s a very serious problem. Like I said before, I think it’s irresponsible to just throw that word around and say this person is anorexic or that person is anorexic because, God forbid, a little girl thinks that’s true and thinks that’s what she needs to do. I wouldn’t say that that’s funny.

What did you think when you read anorexic headlines about yourself?

ELLEN POMPEO: I thought it was absurd. If you knew me or if you’ve seen any pictures of me – or even any of my films – before I did the show then you would know that I’ve always been the same weight.

So what’s next for you, both personally and professionally?

ELLEN POMPEO: I try not to look too much into the future because I don’t want to miss what’s happening today. I’m just very grateful to have a job. I’m very grateful that we all get along and we have a good time here. As far as jobs go, this is a pretty good one to have. I have an outstanding fantastic relationship. I couldn’t be happier in my personal life, and I just feel blessed in so many ways. Who cares about tomorrow? I’m really happy about today. Whatever comes, comes. You can’t control it.

Would you like to do movies again when Grey’s Anatomy eventually finishes?

ELLEN POMPEO: I would love to work on movies again. I guess that might be a fun thing about the end of this show. In fact, I would love to do one on hiatus but we only have eight weeks off and I usually really want to rest and not work. There hasn’t been anything that I’ve wanted to do more than rest.

Is there anything that would make you sign up for a movie in the hiatus?

ELLEN POMPEO: If an unbelievable part came along and I thought I had to do it, I might consider it. But it would have to touch me or speak to me in a special way. At this point, it would be very hard for me to do a movie just for a pay check or just to prove that I can do a movie because I work really long hours on the show and I need the rest. I honestly believe that when the right director wants me for the right part, it will happen. Whatever is meant to be for me is going to come. There’s nothing I can do about it now, so I just sit back and enjoy the ride. I’ll just have to make sure I pick up the phone when it rings.

Remember, Grey’s Anatomy Season Five on DVD hits stores today. The new season begins on September 24 on ABC.