Ellen Pompeo wishes people would agree 'Grey's Anatomy' 'should end'

Ellen Pompeo didn't want to audition for "Grey's Anatomy" at first because she did not want "to be stuck on a medical show for five years," as told to The Hollywood Reporter in 2018, but her agent convinced her to at least do the pilot because it would pay her and help her pay her rent.

Pompeo has now been starring as Dr. Meredith Grey on Grey's for a record-breaking 18 seasons since its March 2005 debut, and she is ready to move on.

"I've been trying to focus on convincing everybody that it should end," the 52-year-old actress and producer told Insider. "I feel like I'm the super naïve one who keeps saying, 'But what's the story going to be, what story are we going to tell? And everyone's like, 'Who cares, Ellen? It makes a gazillion dollars.'"

The 17th season of Grey's, which aired earlier this year, was the last on Pompeo's contract at the time, which put the series' future in doubt. But in May, news broke that Grey's was renewed for an 18th season after Pompeo signed a new deal that kept her as television's highest-paid actress.

Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. also received new contracts. Pompeo, Pickens and Wilson are the only three original cast members remaining on the show.

Grey's aired its winter finale last Thursday (Dec. 16) to 4.1 million viewers total (good for a 0.6 demo rating), per TVLine. Season 18 will resume Feb. 24, 2022.

There is no guarantee that Grey's will be back for a 19th season at ABC, though if it is, it sounds like there is a good chance that it will be its last.

When Grey's does end, Pompeo will still have her recently launched "Tell Me with Ellen Pompeo" podcast. Most recently, the Hollywood powerhouse cofounded Betr Remedies, where she also serves as chief impact officer. See more below.