Ellen Kathleen Pompeo (/pɒmˈpeɪoʊ/; born November 10, 1969) is an American actress. 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 Golden Globe Award nomination.
Born in Everett, Massachusetts, Pompeo moved to Miami and then New York City, where a casting director discovered her and signed her for an ad campaign for L'Oreal. She made her screen debut with NBC's legal drama Law & Order, then guest-starred in other television shows, including the comedy Strangers with Candy, the medical drama Strong Medicine and the sitcom Friends. She made her feature film debut in 1999 with the romantic comedy Coming Soon, and went on to play minor roles in films like In the Weeds and Mambo Café but found little initial success. A turning point came in her career in 2002, when she was noticed for her role in Brad Silberling's romantic drama Moonlight Mile.
Pompeo was then cast in ABC's popular medical drama Grey's Anatomy, and gained worldwide recognition for her portrayal of the title character Dr. Meredith Grey. The role on the long-running series earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award. The character became widely popular, making Pompeo one of the most renowned television actresses. In 2016, she was ranked fourth in the list of highest paid TV actresses by Forbes, with earnings of $14.9 million; she became the third highest-paid female and the fifth highest-paid actor overall in 2018 with earnings of $23.6 million. She was also the highest-ranked actress from a drama series on the list.
Pompeo's other film roles include the comedy Old School (2003), the superhero film Daredevil (2003), the caper film Art Heist (2004), and the comedy drama Life of the Party (2005). In addition to her acting career, she has directed two episodes of Grey's Anatomy and founded a production company, Calamity Jane. She has been married to music producer Chris Ivery since 2007; they have three children.
Early life
Pompeo was born in Everett, Massachusetts, on November 10, 1969. Her father was born in Gesualdo, Italy, and was of Italian, English, and Irish descent; and her mother of Irish ancestry. She was raised as a Catholic. Her mother died of an accidental painkiller overdose when she was four. Her father remarried soon after; he died on September 1, 2012. In 2006, Pompeo said, "I think having my mother die at such a very young age—when she was 39— appreciate life so much." She has five older siblings: three sisters and two brothers. She was nicknamed "the pencil", and "stracciatella" (gelato flavor). She worked as a bartender in Miami when she started dating her then boyfriend. They moved to New York City in 1995, where she was approached by a casting director to appear in ads for Citibank and L'Oreal.
