“Different emotions”: Ellen Pompeo reveals why she chose to work in Good American Family after Grey’s Anatomy

After playing Dr. Meredith Grey in Grey’s Anatomy for over two decades, Ellen Pompeo is once again impressing the audience with her lead role in Good American Family. The Hulu series is based on a true story, with Ellen playing Kristine Barnett, the adoptive mother of a 7-year-old girl.

The limited series marks the actress’ first major television project since her exit as a regular cast member from Grey’s Anatomy. In an interview with Collider, Ellen Pompeo revealed she chose to star in Good American Family after the ABC medical drama as the character of Kristine was entirely different from Meredith Grey:

“I think that the character of Kristine is someone I could disappear into. [She’s] completely different in every way — different sounding, different looking. As an actor, that's what you hope for, right?”

“Someone who dresses different, looks different, sounds different, has different emotions. So that part was right there all on the page, and then we all came together and created this character.”

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Ellen Pompeo talks about starring in Good American Family after Grey’s Anatomy

Ellen Pompeo further said that though she loved her time on Grey’s Anatomy, she was desperate to try something new in her career. Hence, when the opportunity to star in Good American Family came, she decided to jump at it:

“I was so excited! It prepares you because you're like, “Please, let me do something else. I love Meredith, I love Grey's Anatomy, I love all the fans, but please let me do something else. Let's see if I still have it. Let's see if I can.”

Ellen Pompeo stars opposite Mark Duplass in the series. The drama tells the story of a couple who decides to abandon their 7-year-old adoptive girl, suspecting that she is actually an older woman suffering from dwarfism. Imogen Faith Reid plays Natalia Grace, the young girl. Talking about the message of the show, Ellen said:

“We bring our childhood trauma into our children's lives, and so many people who hurt have been hurt. I think more empathy is always a good thing for human beings — less judgment, more empathy — because a lot of people who hurt have been hurt. That's why it's really important to try to keep our kids safe and unharmed.”

Good American Family also stars Sarayu Blue, Jenny O'Hara, Christina Hendricks, Kim Shaw, and Dulé Hill in pivotal roles. Meanwhile, Ellen continues to make recurring appearances on Grey’s Anatomy.

The actress played the lead in the show for 19 seasons but decided to depart as a series regular in 2023. She has also been seen in the shows Station 19, Friends, and The Job.

Good American Family airs new episodes on Hulu on Wednesdays.