'Grey's Anatomy' Showrunner Talks Ellen Pompeo's Increased Screen Time In Season 21

Ellen Pompeo returned on screen to Grey’s Anatomy in the season 21 premiere this week!

The 54-year-old actress reprised her role as Meredith Grey in one of multiple episodes this season where fans will get to see her, instead of just hear her voiceover.

If you recall, Ellen left the series as a full-time series regular after season 18, with her on-screen episode count being limited the last couple seasons, and in this new season.

In a new interview, showrunner Meg Marinis opened up about Ellen‘s increased time on-screen this season and how they navigate when she comes in to do her episodes.

Keep reading to find out more…

“I don’t think we have a confirmed number right now, and we don’t typically do it all in one run. But I will say, her story does continue at the beginning of this season. With Ellen, we’re an open-door policy,” Meg told THR. It was previously revealed she was confirmed for seven episodes, but that could increase!

“When we can have Ellen on set and in the episodes, we love to have her. She’s always present in the show, even if she’s not in it in it. She has voiceover still, and we talk about her character all the time,” she continued. “She and I have a great relationship and work really well with one another. And she and Debbie [Allen], I could write scenes for them all day long. So if I could write multiple episodes of Meredith and Catherine going head-to-head, I absolutely would. But I do want to respect her decision to take a reduced role in these few seasons. But it is nice to have her for more than we had her for last season.”

Meg also talked about how scheduling works when Ellen returns for an on screen appearance.

“It’s conversations with her and with the studio as well. It’s easier for her schedule when we do things in chunks, and typically on Grey’s Anatomy, we tell story arcs,” she said. “We’ll do a recurring patient for three episodes here; and then that person will go away. It’s nice to get fans invested when you do storylines in two- or three-episode arcs. And we always have those one-off storylines, but especially because the show is viewed differently now, you can tell stories any way you want. You can tell stories where you have to watch the next one immediately on streaming, or where you have to have someone wait a week. It’s stressful now, but it’s also fun because there are so many different ways you can pull off a narrative.”

Earlier this year, Ellen filmed a new limited series that is set to premiere on Hulu!