It’s been two years since Ellen Pompeo took a step back from her iconic portrayal of Meredith Grey in Shonda Rhimes’ medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. And though her time as a series regular on the show – 19 seasons to be exact! – has given fans countless heart wrenching, tearjerking and jaw dropping moments, there is one famous line in particular that Ellen actually wasn’t too fond of.
“I didn’t want to say ‘pick me, choose me, love me,’” the Good American Family star revealed on an episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast. “And to Shonda’s credit, she knew it was going to pop.”
According to Ellen, the famous season two line, in which Meredith issues an ultimatum to Derek Shepherd, didn’t resonate with her. “I was like ‘why would I do this? Why would I beg?’” she told host Alex Cooper.
During the episode, Meredith navigates her feelings for Derek all while knowing that he is married. She eventually decides to confront him and expresses that she wants him to choose her over his wife. With all of the drama surrounding the relationship, it’s understandable why Ellen was against Meredith making the plea. “And it's not like I said it wasn’t going to be good,” she added. “ I was just like I don’t want to do that.”
Despite her initial hesitations, Ellen eventually gave in and trusted the process. “You know, you just have to suck it up and do it,” she said. “And it ended up being the biggest thing ever. The most iconic thing ever.”
Many Grey’s fans will probably agree, and we’re grateful Ellen went through with those lines and gave us such an epic TV moment!
