Ellen Pompeo is never one to shy away from giving us the inside scoop on Grey’s Anatomy, and this time, she’s opened up about the potential future—or lack thereof—for the hit TV show.
In an interview with Variety on October 28, the Grey’s Anatomy star opened up about how the upcoming 17th season might be the medical drama’s last.
“We don’t know when the show is really ending yet. But the truth is, this year could be it,” Pompeo revealed.
“I’m constantly fighting for the show as a whole to be as good as it can be. As a producer, I feel like I have permission to be able to do that. I mean, this is the last year of my contract right now. I don’t know that this is the last year, but it could very well could be.”
“There’s your sound bite!” she added, to calm down reactions to hearing the news. “There’s your clickbait. ABC’s on the phone!”
And clearly, Pompeo isn’t the only person who chooses whether or not the show will continue. But saying that, she certainly doesn’t take her influence lightly.
“We employ a lot of people, and we have a huge platform. And I’m very grateful for it,” she said. “You know, I’m just weighing out creatively what can we do. I’m really, really, really excited about this season. It’s probably going to be one of our best seasons ever. And I know that sounds nuts to say, but it’s really true.”
Showrunner Krista Vernoff revealed she’s not worried about running out of ideas any time soon.
“We’ve blown past so many potential endings to Grey’s Anatomy that I always assume it can go on forever,” she told Variety.
Continuing, Pompeo spoke of her concern over the show’s legacy, saying: “The show, at its core, brings people together.”
“And the fact that people can come together and watch the show, and think about things they may not have ordinarily thought about, or see things normalised and humanised in a way that a lot of people really need to see—it helps you become a better human being.”
“If this show has helped anybody become a better human being, then that’s the legacy I’d love to sit with.”
