During a Grey's Anatomy panel at PaleyFest over the weekend, Ellen Pompeo revealed why she doesn't get tired of playing Meredith Grey.
"Maybe why I've been able to do this show for so long is because I try not to have expectations. I do the same thing in my life, I try not to look down the road too far, because we're going to miss what happens right now, today," Pompeo said at PaleyFest. "I try to enjoy every moment with an open heart and an open mind… Life will tell me where I'm going. I don't want to think about what's next, I want to enjoy this moment."
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Pompeo does play the doctor who shares the name with the show — but we wouldn't blame her if she wanted to move onto new ventures. ABC renewed Grey's for a 14th season last month, and it doesn't look like we'll be losing our favorite Grey Sloan doctor.
As HelloGiggles noted, Pompeo told People last year that she stayed with Grey's because she worried her age would hinder her from landing new roles. "My decision to stay on Grey's was based solely on age," Pompeo told People at the time. "At 33, I was wise enough to know my clock was already ticking in Hollywood."
The actress also spoke about an upcoming episode of Grey's that she directed, her first-ever time behind the camera. "I was a little nervous about the technical aspects of directing," Pompeo said of the episode, in which (SPOILER ALERT!) Maggie's mom passes away. "The death of a mother is something so quintessentially Grey's Anatomy. How I lost my own mother at a very young age … it's a subject matter I was going right into. I couldn't wait to make everyone cry."
Keeping "an open heart and an open mind" is a much less-depressing answer than having a fear of Hollywood's ageism. Whatever the reason, though, it's great to know we won't be losing Meredith anytime soon. We're glad Pompeo is embracing her future with optimism — Grey's really wouldn't be the same without Meredith's narration.