Saying goodbye to Meredith Grey. Ellen Pompeo is grateful for fan support after reducing her Grey’s Anatomy role — and her former costars are sharing the love.
“Love and adore you, always and forever, @EllenPompeo 💛,” Kate Walsh, who portrays Addison Montgomery on the medical drama and its previous Private Practice spinoff, wrote via Instagram comment on Thursday, November 17. “Never goodbye… just a see ya later, doll 🥰.”
The 53-year-old Boston native, who’s played Meredith on all 19 seasons of the ABC hit, made headlines earlier on Thursday after she gushed about her longtime role amid her departure.
“I am eternally grateful and humbled by the love and support you have all shown me, Meredith GREY and the show for 19 seasons,” Pompeo captioned an Instagram snap. “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!!”
She added: “I love you madly and appreciate you right back. This isn’t your first time on the rollercoaster… you know the show must go on and I’ll definitely be back to visit.”
Ahead of the season 19 premiere earlier this year, news broke that Pompeo will only appear in a few new episodes. The Old School actress is set to remain as an executive producer and provide introductory narration for the remaining episodes. In the October fall finale, Meredith provided her two-week notice as Chief of Surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial, revealing she accepted a new position in Boston after eldest daughter Zola (Aniela Gumbs) needed a more rigorous education to accommodate her newfound giftedness.
Pompeo, who has led the Shondaland hit since its 2005 premiere, has remained coy if she’ll leave the medical drama for good. Her former colleagues, including the 55-year-old Emily in Paris actress, are remembering her character’s surgical legacy.
“Can you imagine what she’d have in her house now from 19 seasons? A full hospital [by now],” Patrick Dempsey, who portrayed Meredith’s husband Derek Shepherd until his 2015 exit, jokingly told Jimmy Kimmel during a Thursday appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! after being asked what props Pompeo had stolen from set.
The 56-year-old Disenchanted star added: “It’s amazing, the power of that show and how long it’s lasted and the impact it’s had around the world. It’s changed my life profoundly and my family’s.”
Scroll below to see how Grey’s Anatomy stars are reacting to Pompeo’s — and Meredith Grey’s — departure:
Saying goodbye to Meredith Grey. Ellen Pompeo is grateful for fan support after reducing her Grey’s Anatomy role — and her former costars are sharing the love.
“Love and adore you, always and forever, @EllenPompeo 💛,” Kate Walsh, who portrays Addison Montgomery on the medical drama and its previous Private Practice spinoff, wrote via Instagram comment on Thursday, November 17. “Never goodbye… just a see ya later, doll 🥰.”
The 53-year-old Boston native, who’s played Meredith on all 19 seasons of the ABC hit, made headlines earlier on Thursday after she gushed about her longtime role amid her departure.
“I am eternally grateful and humbled by the love and support you have all shown me, Meredith GREY and the show for 19 seasons,” Pompeo captioned an Instagram snap. “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!!”
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She added: “I love you madly and appreciate you right back. This isn’t your first time on the rollercoaster… you know the show must go on and I’ll definitely be back to visit.”
Ahead of the season 19 premiere earlier this year, news broke that Pompeo will only appear in a few new episodes. The Old School actress is set to remain as an executive producer and provide introductory narration for the remaining episodes. In the October fall finale, Meredith provided her two-week notice as Chief of Surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial, revealing she accepted a new position in Boston after eldest daughter Zola (Aniela Gumbs) needed a more rigorous education to accommodate her newfound giftedness.
Pompeo, who has led the Shondaland hit since its 2005 premiere, has remained coy if she’ll leave the medical drama for good. Her former colleagues, including the 55-year-old Emily in Paris actress, are remembering her character’s surgical legacy.
“Can you imagine what she’d have in her house now from 19 seasons? A full hospital [by now],” Patrick Dempsey, who portrayed Meredith’s husband Derek Shepherd until his 2015 exit, jokingly told Jimmy Kimmel during a Thursday appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! after being asked what props Pompeo had stolen from set.
The 56-year-old Disenchanted star added: “It’s amazing, the power of that show and how long it’s lasted and the impact it’s had around the world. It’s changed my life profoundly and my family’s.”
Scroll below to see how Grey’s Anatomy stars are reacting to Pompeo’s — and Meredith Grey’s — departure:
Credit: David Fisher/Shutterstock
Shonda Rhimes
“What a wild ride these past 19 seasons have been. None of it could have been possible without the incomparable @ellenpompeo, the one and only Meredith Grey,” the Grey’s Anatomy creator wrote via Instagram. “This isn’t a goodbye, it’s a see ya later! Can’t wait to see what’s in store for Ellen, Meredith and Grey Sloan Memorial.”
Credit: Gregory Pace/Shutterstock
Kate Walsh
Walsh, who returned to Grey-Sloan Memorial during season 18 and season 19, proclaimed via Instagram she’ll see her former colleague again soon.
Credit: Matt Baron/Shutterstock
Patrick Dempsey
The Made of Honor actor joked to Kimmel that Pompeo must have a “full hospital” worth of medical supplies in her house based on set props.
