Ellen Pompeo

Actor · Born November 10, 1969 (56) · Everett, Massachusetts, USA

Screen Actors Guild Award winner · Golden Globe nominee

Ellen Kathleen Pompeo (born November 10, 1969) is an American actress, best known for playing the series protagonist, Meredith Grey, on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy. One of the world's highest paid actors since 2017, she has made multiple appearances on the Forbes’ year-end lists. Her accolades include a Screen Actors Guild Award and a nomination for a Golden Globe Award.

What are Ellen Pompeo's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight

Bonds

38%

Self

33%

Survival

14%

Morality

12%

Power

3%

Family bonds3 Coming of age2 Friendship2 Romantic love2 Self-worth2

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films

ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

Earnest

Tone · Sincerity

ironicearnest

Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 5

Serious

Tone · Weight

lightdark

Light 2 · Serious 2 · Dark 1

Grounded

Tone · Style

naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

Charged

Feel · Intensity

gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 5 · Intense 0

Shifting

Feel · Swings

steadyswings

Steady 1 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs

Feel · Humor

noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 2

Even-paced

Demand · Pace

slowrelentless

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Casual

Demand · Attention

casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0

Easy watch

Demand · Emotional cost

easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 2 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 0

Resolved

Demand · Resolution

resolvedambiguous

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles

Herald

1 of 3

Hero

1 of 3

Shadow

1 of 3

Heraldas Phoebe Elgin in Life of the Party (2005)
Heroas Dr. Meredith Grey in Grey's Anatomy (2005)
Shadowas Kristine Barnett in Good American Family (2025)

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic

4

Tense

3

Absurd

2

Dread

1

Joyful

1

Other

9

How their films linger

Bittersweet4 Thought-provoking2 Fun2 Unsettling2 Wistful2

How their films end

Happy2
Bittersweet3
Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Ellen Pompeo's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 13 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Hulu (4).

Subscription and free streaming for Ellen Pompeo's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

22 credits, 13 with a MovieCove page; 18 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

Good American Family(2025)
Show 8 episodes · Executive Producer · as Kristine Barnett
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all shows
Station 19(2018)
Show 77 episodes · Co-Executive Producer · as Dr. Meredith Grey
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver(2014)
Show 1 episode · as Meredith Grey
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
Grey's Anatomy(2005)
Show 466 episodes · Director · Co-Executive Producer · Executive Producer · Producer · as Meredith Grey
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
Life of the Party(2005)
as Phoebe Elgin
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Art Heist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
as Sandra Walker
Undermind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
as Flynn
Old School(2003)
as Nicole
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Daredevil(2003)
as Karen Page
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
Catch Me If You Can(2002)
as Marci
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Moonlight Mile(2002)
as Bertie Knox
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
The Job (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Show 1 episode · Actor
Strong Medicine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Show 1 episode · as Quincy Dunne
In the Weeds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
as Martha
Mambo Café (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
as Stacie
Eventual Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
as Beth
Get Real (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Show 1 episode · as Nina Adler
Coming Soon(1999)
as Upset Girl
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
Strangers with Candy(1999)
Show 1 episode · as Lizzie Abrams
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows
Friends(1994)
Show 1 episode · as Missy Goldberg
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Show 1 episode · Actor
Law & Order(1990)
Show 1 episode · as Jenna Weber · as Laura Kendrick
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 95^th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 22 titles from 1990 to 2025; peak year 2003.

Biggest box office

Daredevil (2003)

$179M worldwide

Highest rated

Old School (2003)

Midcredits 77^th

Film career

MilestoneBreakoutAward win

19902025

Peak 2003 · their film career is on the way up. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

1999Screen debut· Coming Soon
2003Breakout· Old School
2005Career best· Grey's Anatomy
2005Screen Actors Guild Award win· Grey's Anatomy

By role

only this rolewith another role

Acting22 of 22 · 77^thDirecting1 of 22Producing3 of 22

22 titles, 3 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1990s6 · acting2000s13 · 13 acting · 1 crew2010s2 · 2 acting · 1 crew2020s1 · 1 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 0% of 5 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

Awards

a Screen Actors Guild Award from 4 major nominations, 2006–2008.

WinNomination

2008
- Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2007
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama
- Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2006
- Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Ellen Pompeo's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 46^th percentile, the median of all 6; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 31^st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

31^stpercentile

Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

26^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

87^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 13 titles, by percentile

75^th and up7
50^th to 74^th2
25^th to 49^th2
Below 25^th2

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 13 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

Universally Loved3
Cult Classic1
Crowd Pleaser5
Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

Life of the Party (2005)

71^st percentile spread · 31% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Midcredits 99^th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the acting 53/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles; fans 59, detractors 39. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Ellen Pompeo's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles

Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 54 · moderate

Sex & Nudity5 titles38–62 · median 47 · moderateheavier than most films

Profanity4 titlesmedian 44 · moderate

Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 46 · moderate

Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 52 · moderate

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.