Ellen Pompeo Exposes the Truth About Her Equal Pay Fight and More in the Latest Call Her Daddy Episode
Ellen Pompeo recently joined Alex Cooper on Call Her Daddy, where she discussed her experience working on a drama series for 20 years and her fight for fair compensation. She appeared on the podcast to promote her new Hulu series, Good American Family, which premiered on March 19.
Near the start of the interview, Pompeo shared her appreciation for her time on Grey’s Anatomy, emphasizing how the long-running series provided her with financial stability in an industry where consistent work is rare. She credited the steady job for allowing her to be present for her children, something she felt was essential. Pompeo went on to express how motherhood made her a better person, unlocking a new “range of emotions” she couldn’t have imagined before having kids.
Cooper then shifted to a series of rapid-fire questions about Grey’s Anatomy, leading to the surprising revelation that a sex scene once made Pompeo cry. When asked what advice she would give her character in certain moments, Cooper brought up the infamous rebound scene from Season 2 with George O’Malley, portrayed by T.R. Knight.
Pompeo, who is close friends with Knight in real life, opened up about how uneasy the experience was.“The scene was so uncomfortable and awkward. He didn’t want to do that; I didn’t want to do it. When we filmed it, it was so bad. And then the network said there was too much thrusting,” she recalled. She went on to explain that they had to reshoot the scene, forcing them to go through the experience twice. To this day, she has never watched it, proclaiming, “Those were real tears.”
The remainder of the interview focused heavily on the TV icon’s salary, specifically her fight to earn what she deserved as the lead of the series. In 2017, Pompeo became the highest-paid actress on television, earning over $20 million a year for her role as Meredith Grey.
She revealed that when the news broke, her manager prepared her with a blunt warning: “Are you ready to be unpopular?” The statement stuck with her, as she realized people often struggle to celebrate others’ success.
Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of the announcement, Pompeo chose to leverage the situation to her advantage. As she described, “When you make a lot of money as a woman, let’s face it, you have power, right? So then how can I take that power and do good with it?”
Pompeo expanded on this, urging the audience to uplift others, especially if they find themselves in a high-ranking position. She reflected on how rare it is for a woman to reach such a position and emphasized that her salary was well-deserved. The fight to reach that milestone, she explained, was a necessary part of the journey. Fans admired her raw honesty about the challenges women face in earning what they deserve.
Ellen Pompeo gave a masterclass on why women need money to be independent, to not depend on someone else. It never hurts to hear it again and again. https://t.co/yXvOmKZrC1
— loveseriescouples (@seriescouples) March 19, 2025
When fighting for equal pay on the drama series, the primetime star had previously discussed how her co-star, Patrick Dempsey, earned more, despite her character’s name being in the title. On the podcast, she explained that while Dempsey deserved the salary he was receiving, she also believed she deserved the same. The issue, however, wasn’t with Dempsey—it was with the network, which made her feel less valued compared to her male colleague.
The actress wrapped up the conversation by sharing her belief that everyone, especially men, should advocate for gender equality when they witness inequality in the workplace.
To finish the episode, Pompeo touched on how she would like to be remembered by the public as “Someone who used my voice, my privilege, and my power to help other people.” Leaving a positive mark on the world is her ultimate aspiration.
The interview was both entertaining and meaningful, giving fans an inside look at the legend herself. Be sure to check out the full episode of Call Her Daddy with Ellen Pompeo, and don’t forget to stream Good American Family on Hulu.
