Ellen Pompeo 'Super Happy' About Her 'Grey's Anatomy' Exit

Ellen Pompeo is feeling excited about stepping back from her role in "Grey's Anatomy."

Earlier this year it emerged that the actor would be cutting back her time on the ABC medical drama after 19 seasons — a decision that she admitted to feeling good about during an interview with Drew Barrymore on Tuesday.

"I feel super happy, but listen the show has been incredible to me and I've loved a lot of the experience," Pompeo said, according to People. "Listen it's just I gotta mix it up a little bit. I'm 53, my brain is like scrambled eggs ... I gotta do something new or I'm literally gonna turn into, like ... can't do The New York Times crossword puzzle every single day."

She continued, "I mean 10 years, that's more than people keep their kids in their house — like people keep their kids in their house until they're 18 and then they send them off to college, so this is like me, like, going away to college."

During her appearance on "The Drew Barrymore Show," Pompeo shared that she was looking forward to spending quality time with her children — son Eli Christopher, 5, and daughters Sienna May, 8, and Stella Luna, 13. She was also preparing to shoot her upcoming Hulu limited series "Orphan."

"I have a lot that I'm doing," she shared. "I have three kids and so I take care of them, and it's really important for me to be around for them and be more present for them. I'm gonna do a limited series for Hulu in the spring, which is a very cool kind of crazy true story."

Speaking at the 2022 People's Choice Awards last week, Pompeo reassured fans that they would still see her character Meredith Grey in the show this season.

"I think I am really just in the finale this year," she said. "I think we've aired six episodes or seven episodes, possibly. Maybe after the winter hiatus, I am in one more, maybe, and then the finale, actually."

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