Summary
- Ellen Pompeo's versatility as an actor is evident in her ability to seamlessly transition between comedic and dramatic roles throughout her career.
- While Pompeo had a promising start in major movies, it was her role as Dr. Meredith Grey in Grey's Anatomy that catapulted her to household name status and defined her career.
- Pompeo's down-to-earth style on screen shines through in every character she portrays, whether they are hilarious or more grounded, making her a natural talent.
While Ellen Pompeo might be best known for her long-running role on Grey's Anatomy, the versatile actor has amassed an impressive list of credits in movies and TV. Getting her start in the late 1990s, Pompeo quickly established herself as a versatile actor who could play comedic and dramatic roles with relative ease. Though only a few years into her career, Pompeo began landing roles in major movies, and it seemed as if big-screen stardom was in her future. However, the part of a lifetime arrived in 2005, and she has been one of the most consistent forces in TV for nearly two decades.
Pompeo became a household name thanks to her turn as Dr. Meredith Grey in the medical procedural Grey's Anatomy, which is the role that has come to define her career. Though Grey's Anatomy is setting up Dr. Grey's replacement, the series will forever be linked with Pompeo's career even if it continues on for years without her. What makes Ellen Pompeo such a natural is her down-to-earth style on screen which comes out through her various characters. Whether they are hilarious characters or more realistic ones, A bit of Pompeo is seen in every single part she plays.
10 Daredevil (2003)
- Daredevil is available to buy or rent on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and Vudu
A few years before Marvel became a legitimate force at the box office with the MCU, their scattershot approach to movie adaptations resulted in the less-than-memorable Daredevil. Blind lawyer Matt Murdoch (Ben Affleck) moonlights as the vigilante hero Daredevil who attempts to bring down the crime boss Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan). Pompeo played the minor role of secretary Karen Page, but it showed she was moving up the Hollywood ladder. While there are aspects of Daredevil that aren't as bad as people , its dated execution and disregard for the source material made it ultimately forgettable.
9 Undermind (2003)
- Undermind is currently not available to buy or stream
Even while she was playing key roles on TV shows and landing ing parts in major motion pictures, Pompeo was honing her dramatic skills in indie films like Undermind. Successful lawyer Derrick (Sam Trammell) awakens in a strange apartment with a new girlfriend named Flynn (Pompeo) and discovers he has swapped lives with a criminal musician. Obviously aping the works of Christopher Nolan and David Lynch, Undermind was an ambitious indie drama that could have used a budget boost. Ellen Pompeo delivered a subtly sinister performance, and she was the highlight of the oft-forgotten thriller.
8 In The Weeds (2000)
- In the Weeds is available to buy or rent on Amazon Prime
Accurate workplace comedies are typically exceptionally funny because of how well they skewer the profession in question, and In the Weeds put the wild world of restaurant work in the cross-hairs. Adam (Joshua Leonard) and Chloe (Molly Ringwald) work in a New York City restaurant as wait staff and encounter the various strange characters that inhabit that world. Though the concept has since been done, In the Weeds was one of the first films to explore the idea in depth and to strong results as well. Pompeo's Martha was one of the funniest side characters, and the movie itself got laughs without having to be too over-the-top.
7 Moonlight Mile (2002)
- Moonlight Mile is available to stream on Hoopla
Early in her career, Ellen Pompeo vacillated between comedy and drama, but her dramatic turn in Moonlight Mile was a sneak preview of what was to come in the future for the young actor. After his soon-to-be wife is murdered, Joe Nast (Jake Gyllenhaal) finds himself stuck between moving on with Bertie (Pompeo) and the expectations of his late fiancee's grieving family. Holding her own among powerhouses like Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, and Susan Sarandon, Pompeo stole the show in a film that was somewhat underwritten. Even without a lot to work with, Ellen Pompeo made a big leap as Bertie and stepped away from her younger roles.
6 Catch Me If You Can (2002)
- Catch Me If You Can is available to stream on Fubo TV, Paramount +, and Showtime
Many actors play smaller roles when they first break out, and Ellen Pompeo excelled at snagging the spotlight despite less screen time. Catch Me If You Can follows master con artist Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he evades the dogged pursuit of FBI Agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks). Pompeo appeared as naive airline flight attendant Marci, and she nailed the ditzy energy of the character in her lone scene. Based on a true story, Catch Me If You Can used the best of the real tale and added a bit of fiction to spice it up. Its high frenetic energy made it a blast, and it earned several Oscar nominations.
5 Strangers With Candy (1999-2000)
- Strangers With Candy is available to stream on Paramount + and Comedy Central
Strangers with Candy was the type of show destined for cult status, and the Amy Sedaris-led series even played host to an early Ellen Pompeo role. The show follows 46-year-old Jerri (Sedaris), as she goes back to high school and tries to fit in. A brilliant spoof of the after-school specials of the '70s and '80s, Strangers with Candy used edgy humor long before it was chic. Pompeo appeared in season 1, episode 7, "Feather in the Storm" and her turn as the mean debate team leader Lizzie Abrams was a brilliant introduction. While it wasn't a big role, it showed that Pompeo was capable of nearly anything.
4 Station 19 (2018-Present)
- Station 19 is available to stream on Hulu, Fubo TV, and ABC
Tied into the same universe as Grey's Anatomy, the fire-fighting drama Station 19 even featured appearances from Ellen Pompeo as Dr. Grey. The procedural series follows the men and women of Seattle's fictional Station 19 as they tackle the biggest challenges the city can throw at them. The spinoffs of Grey's Anatomy have proven to be just as successful as their parent series, and Pompeo's Dr. Grey has been the anchor. While her crossovers have been somewhat minimal, she elevated the episodes she was in and gave a boost to the fledgling series.
3 Friends (1994-2004)
- Friends is available to stream on Max, Fubo TV, and TBS
As a 1990s and early 2000s TV institution, Friends featured appearances from a host of future stars, and Ellen Pompeo left her mark on the show's final season. Set in New York City, the sitcom follows a group of friends as they all try to face the ups and downs of life as young adults in a big city. Pompeo appeared in season 10, episode 11, "The One Where the Stripper Cries", and played Ross and Chandler's former college flame Missy. While it wasn't a major role, Pompeo's sly and witty performance was a perfect balance to the over-the-top energy of her two male counterparts.
2 Old School (2003)
- Old School is available to stream on Paramount +
While Old School is best ed as one of Will Ferrell's best movies, it also featured a star-making role for Ellen Pompeo. Dejected by his wife's infidelity, Mitch (Luke Wilson) reconnects with his college buddies and attempts to recapture his party years. The Todd Phillips-directed comedy was quintessential early-'00s Frat Pack hilarity, and Pompeo appeared as Nicole, a subtle counterbalance to the college insanity. At the height of her acting powers, Pompeo extracted reality from the role, and her chemistry with co-star Luke Wilson was palpable. The film itself has aged quite well, and its themes of lost youth essentially summarized the Frat Pack era.
1 Grey's Anatomy (2005-Present)
- Grey's Anatomy is available to stream on Netflix, Fubo TV, Hulu, and ABC
Few procedurals have revolutionized the genre quite like Grey's Anatomy, and the series has grown from being merely popular to being an actual institution in its own right. Dr. Meredith Grey (Pompeo) leads a team of intrepid doctors as they face a myriad of challenges at Seattle's Grace Mercy West Hospital. Despite a revolving door of cast over its nearly two-decade run on the air, Ellen Pompeo has been the glue that holds the show together. She has had years to hone the role, and Dr. Grey is a fully fleshed-out icon of 21st-century TV. Even as she leaves the show behind, Grey's Anatomy will always be Pompeo's legacy.
