Ellen Pompeo is easily recognizable around the world for playingGrey’s Anatomy’s protagonist Meredith Grey, but her first role after scaling back her involvement in the medical drama couldn’t have been more different from Meredith.Pompeo officially left the show as a series regular inGrey’s Anatomyseason 19, still doing the episodes’ voiceovers, but the storylines focusing on Meredith Grey are still are the medical drama’s forefront, and that couldn’t have been more evident than in herGrey’s Anatomyseason 21’s role changethat made Meredith’s Alzheimer’s research a key story.
It’s Time For Grey’s Anatomy To Move On From Meredith
Despite her exit halfway through Grey’s Anatomy season 19, Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith has played a big, unnecessary, time-consuming role in season 20.
BeforeGrey’s Anatomy, Ellen Pompeo appeared in various films and TV shows, including 2002’sCatch Me If You Canand 2003’sDaredevil. However, landing the protagonist role in a network TV show likeGrey’s Anatomyeffectively made it impossible to pursue any other project. Through the years,Pompeo became involved in different ways inGrey’s Anatomy,directing two episodes inGrey’s Anatomyseasons 13 and 14, andofficially becoming an executive producer on the medical drama from 2022. The reduced role onGrey’s Anatomynonetheless lets Pompeo branch out, as proven by her upcoming Hulu true crime drama.
Pompeo Will Portray Kristine Barnett In Hulu’s Good American Family
Ellen Pompeo plays Kristine Barnett in Hulu’s upcoming limited series,Good American Family. A true crime drama adapting a story grabbing the headlines in September 2019,Good American Familyis based on Kristine and Michael Barnett’s(Mark Duplass)story.Good American Familywill follow the Barnetts’ adoption of Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian child with a rare form of dwarfism, before bringing up their accusations against her of being an adult, their getting her an apartment and moving to Canada with their biological children.Good American Familyis reported to switch between the Barnetts and Natalia Grace’s perspectives throughout the show.
Good American Familypremieres its first two episodes on Hulu on July 16, 2025.
Pompeo produces the eight-part true crime drama besides starring in the lead role. On the choice to be part of the retelling of this particular story, Pompeo admits toVanity Fairto have been under “a tremendous amount of pressure,” wondering why “would anyone believe that [she] could do anything other than playing Meredith Grey,” including herself.While revealing to have thought taking that project would be “a land mine,” Pompeo eventually motivated the choice to go through with it because she had “a lot to prove here,”especially as she wanted to do something completely different fromGrey’s Anatomy.
How Good American Family’s Kristine Barnett Is Different From Grey’s Anatomy’s Meredith
Pompeo’s Role In Good American Family Is Much Darker Than Meredith Grey
Pompeo commented on portraying Kristine Barnett inGood American Familyby saying that it was important for her “to play someone who is not necessarily the most likeable person,” going as further as saying she went to very dark places when shooting the scenes where her character starts doubting her adopted daughter is really a child. Pompeo also admits to going to co-showrunners and executive producers Katie Robbins and Sarah Sutherland to ask about what motivated her character, showing a willingness to approach the matter with nuance instead of judging her character.
Meredith made plenty of questionable choices onGrey’s Anatomy, but she is doubtlessly the hero of the medical drama, and her battles on the show truly reflect that.
Due to the nature of the true crime drama’s story,it’s indubitable forGood American Familyto be much darker thanGrey’s Anatomy.Meredith made plenty of questionable choices onGrey’s Anatomy, but she is doubtlessly the hero of the medical drama, and her battles on the show truly reflect that, whether she protects patients if they’re covered by insurance or not or challenges Catherine Fox by publishing her Alzheimer’s research’s results freely. The differences between Pompeo’s role inGood American FamilyandGrey’s Anatomythus make her upcoming true crime drama even more interesting to watch.
Sources: Vanity Fair
Grey’s Anatomyseason 21 returns to ABC at 10pm on Thursday, July 11, 2025.
