Ellen Pompeo has revealed that Sandra Oh and Patrick Dempsey’s departures from “Grey’s Anatomy” impacted her differently, with Patrick’s exit leading her to question her future on the show and to assert herself during contract negotiations, while Sandra’s departure made her realize she was not as replaceable as she thought.
Here’s a more detailed look at how each departure affected Pompeo:
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Patrick Dempsey’s Departure:
- Dempsey’s exit, which occurred during Season 11, prompted Pompeo to question whether she could carry the show without him.
- She felt pressure to prove that she could continue the show’s success, which influenced her contract negotiations for Season 12.
- Pompeo stated, “When Patrick left, I had something to prove. He left season 11, and then I was renegotiating season 12, so I could have left, because the man left, which is not the story I want to tell.”
- Dempsey’s exit, which occurred during Season 11, prompted Pompeo to question whether she could carry the show without him.
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Sandra Oh’s Departure:
- Oh’s departure, which occurred after Season 10, made Pompeo question her own future and whether she would be typecast if she stayed on the show.
- Pompeo stated, “you never doubt whether Sandra Oh is gonna work again, right? She’ll work forever, right? But for me, I had to think, ‘Am I gonna work again? Or am I going to be so typecast?'”
- Despite these doubts, Pompeo decided to stay with “Grey’s Anatomy” and became the highest-paid television actress, earning $20 million a year.
- Oh’s departure, which occurred after Season 10, made Pompeo question her own future and whether she would be typecast if she stayed on the show.
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