Eric Dane Doesn’t Think ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Can Survive Without Ellen Pompeo: It’d Be ‘Short-Lived’
Eric Dane revealed in a new interview that he doesn’t think ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ would last long without series mainstay Ellen Pompeo!
Grey’s Anatomy just wouldn’t be the same without Meredith, played by TV icon Ellen Pompeo! And according to her costar Eric Dane, who plays Mark Sloane, the long-running ABC hit may not survive without her. Eric made the comments during an appearance on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live this week to discuss HBO Max’s Euphoria. When asked if he thought the show could continue without Ellen’s star power, Eric said it was a “good question.”
“I don’t know,” Eric told Andy during the interview. “That’s a good question. You know, is it the show that’s the star or is it Ellen that’s the star of the show and I, I don’t know. I think at this point, I think it could live without her, but I, I think it would be short-lived.” Ellen, who has appeared now for 19 seasons, evidently doesn’t need the gig anymore — when Andy asked “how rich” Eric thinks she is after nearly two decades on the enormously popular show, he quipped, “I don’t think Ellen needs to work anymore, Andy.”
Ellen herself has hinted that the show could go on without her. In a May interview, the Golden Globe nominee said the show would continue, but “not necessarily” with her. “Shonda [Rhimes] and I, I think — we’ll see, we’ll see,” she told Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet for the show’s landmark 400th episode, when asked about its future. “Trying to reinvent the show and continually trying to reinvent the show is the challenge at this point, and listen, the show speaks to a lot of people, and the young people love the show.”
The beloved actress emphasized how Grey’s Anatomy inspired its viewers and shaped careers. “It’s inspired so many generations of healthcare workers, so, I think for the young people, it’s a really good piece of content and we’re going to try to keep it going for the young people, not necessarily with me, but keep it going beyond me,” she said. “We’ll find someone, maybe, or we won’t,” she said.