Fans of “Grey’s Anatomy” know the show won’t be the same without Ellen Pompeo‘s Meredith Grey, but her farewell is quickly approaching. As previously reported by Variety, viewers have seen a lot less of Dr. Grey in season 19 due to the actor’s role in a forthcoming Hulu show, which is still untitled.
Although it will be great to see Pompeo in a new part, it means that she’s taken a back seat in the long-running ABC drama. Pompeo is still narrating every episode and continues to serve as one of the show’s executive producers, but she’ll officially say goodbye to her character in her final episode, airing on Feb. 23.
On Jan. 11, ABC teased Pompeo’s departure in a new promo trailer for “Grey’s Anatomy“‘s winter return. In it, her character narrates a montage of her best moments and says, “This is where I learned to be a doctor. This is the place where I found my family – the place where I fell in love.”
The show’s winter premiere trailer also teased a celebratory going-away party for Meredith as she says, “Sometimes change is good. Sometimes change is everything.” For those following the show, Meredith announces her goodbye by sharing that she’s leaving for a job opportunity in Boston to work on a cure for Alzheimer’s.
In honor of Pompeo’s approaching end, she shared a goodbye message in an Instagram post on Nov. 17 celebrating her time on the series. “I am eternally grateful and humbled by the love and support you have all shown me, Meredith GREY and the show for 19 seasons!” the actor wrote. “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!! I love you madly and appreciate you right back.”
Pompeo also hinted that she might return to the series. “This isn’t your first time on the rollercoaster,” she added. “You know the show must go on and I’ll definitely be back to visit. With a lot of love and immense gratitude XoE 🙏🏼❤️”.
As for Pompeo’s upcoming Hulu role, all we know right now is that the streamer has green-lit eight episodes centered around a Midwestern family who adopt who they think is an 8-year-old girl with a rare form of dwarfism. However, they soon begin to question her identity, throwing their own relationships into turmoil as they discover that she might not be exactly who she says she is.
The show is based on the true story of a woman named Natalia Grace Barnett, whose official age was changed from 8 to 22 in a 2012 court order, per Journal & Courier, though the case has continued to develop since then. In addition to acting in the show, Pompeo also serves as an executive producer, working alongside Katie Robbins (“The Affair”), Erin Levy (“Mad Men“), and a few other members of her Calamity Jane production company.
While this may mean less screen time for Meredith Grey, this certainly isn’t the end for Pompeo.