Ellen Pompeo

November 10, 2024

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Ellen Pompeo, born on November 10, 1969, is an American actress and producer. She is famous for her role as Meredith Grey on the ABC television series “Grey’s Anatomy,” for which she has received Screen Actors Guild Award and People’s Choice Award. Pompeo has had a successful film career, appearing in “Catch Me If You Can” and “Daredevil.” Apart from acting, she founded a production company, Calamity Jane. Since 2017, she has been on the list of the world’s highest-paid actors.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Ellen Kathleen Pompeo

Nickname:

The Pencil, Stracciatella

Birth date:

November 10, 1969

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Scorpio

Height:

5' 8.4"

Relationship Status:

Married

Net Worth:

$80 million

Background

American actress and producer Ellen Pompeo was born in Everett, Massachusetts, on November 10, 1969. Pompeo’s parents were of Italian, English, and Irish descent. She has five older siblings: three sisters and two brothers. After leaving school, Pompeo worked as a bartender in Miami, where she met her then-boyfriend. In 1995, she and her boyfriend moved to New York City, where Citibank and L’Oreal selected her to appear in their ads.

In 1996, Pompeo made her debut in the television series “Law and Order” as a guest star and made her feature film debut in the flick “Coming Soon” in 1999. Her breakthrough role came in 2002 when she starred in Brad Silberling’s drama “Moonlight Mile.” In 2005, Pompeo was cast in the hit show “Grey’s Anatomy,” which gave her worldwide recognition. She continues to act in this series and won a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2016, “Forbes” ranked her fourth on the list of highest-paid television actresses.

Apart from her television roles, Pompeo has also starred in movies such as “Daredevil” and “Life of the Party.” She has two directing credits to her name for “Grey’s Anatomy” and founded a production company called Calamity Jane. She married music producer Chris Ivery, and they have three children, Sienna May Pompeo Ivery, Stella Luna Pompeo Ivery, and Eli Christopher Pompeo Ivery. Pompeo has had a very fruitful career so far, and with “Grey’s Anatomy” still running in 2022, she is here to stay for long.

Career timeline

1996

Her T.V. Debut

She makes her debut in the "Law and Order" series in a single episode.

1999

Her Feature Film Debut

Pompeo makes her feature film debut in the movie "Coming Soon."

2005

Her Major Lead Role

She is cast in the television series "Grey's Anatomy" as Dr. Meredith Grey.

2016

Her Recognition For Acting

She wins the People's Choice Award for ‘Favorite Dramatic T.V. Actress.’

Why We Love Ellen Pompeo

She is all for equal pay
Pompeo has been highly vocal about pay parity between actors and actresses in Hollywood. She has called out the industry for its sexism and racism. She has said that she is finally comfortable asking for what she deserves. We love to hear it!
She is an advocate for equality and L.G.B.T.Q. rights
As a mother of bi-racial children, Pompeo is a huge advocate for equality and respect for the L.G.B.T.Q. community. She has won the GLSEN Respect Award for being an avid L.G.B.T.Q. community supporter.
She is philanthropic
Apart from her work with the L.G.B.T.Q. community, Pompeo supports charities and foundations. They include Baby2Baby, the Ellen Fund (Ellen DeGeneres), and the Children's Defense Fund.

5 Surprising Facts

She has starred in a music video
Pompeo starred in Taylor Swift's music video for the song 'Bad Blood.'
Met her husband at a grocery store
Pompeo met her now-husband, Chris Ivery, in the grocery store Whole Foods section.
She got married in a courthouse
When she got married to Ivery, the only witnesses were the then-mayor, Michael Bloomberg, and First Deputy Mayor, Patti Harris.
She had weird nicknames growing up
She was called “The Pencil” due to her small size and “stracciatella” after the gelato flavor.
Swift's cat is called Meredith Grey
Swift named her cat Meredith Grey after Pompeo's character in the drama series "Grey's Anatomy."