Grey's Anatomy's Ellen Pompeo & Katherine Heigl Reunite, Reveal If Ellen Is Done Playing Meredith, Why Katherine Left the Show & More

Variety Staff Follow Us on Twitter It’s the most wonderful time of the year: “Actors on Actors” season, that is! Season 18 of the beloved Variety series, which celebrates the biggest stars in this year’s Emmys race, reached new heights on social media with over 85 million total views across platforms. This round’s pairings included Jenna Ortega with Elle Fanning, Pedro Pascal with Steven Yeun and a highly-anticipated “Grey’s Anatomy” reunion for Katherine Heigl and Ellen Pompeo. Once again, the series took over TikTok during its two-week run, racking up over 66 million views and gaining over 100,000 new followers on the entertainment trade’s account. Top performing videos on the platform include Ellen Pompeo’s realization that Meredith Grey was the original “pick me girl,” Jeremy Allen White’s curiosity over Jennifer Coolidge’s most iconic “White Lotus” line and Jenna Ortega’s emotional appeal for kindness on social media. 

Katherine Ryan’s partner Bobby Kootstra has revealed their amazing garden transformation as he shared stunning before and after pictures of the project on Instagram. Posting a sweet video montage of the transformation, Bobby showed a sneak peek of their outdoor space as he explained how the makeover happened via a voiceover. He started by revealing what the garden looked like as they were “coming out of winter” and the work which led up to the final result.

Ellen Pompeo might star in Grey’s Anatomy, but she isn’t quite down for revisiting her earliest seasons on the show in the present.

Ellen Pompeo thought it would be a lovely idea: introduce Grey’s Anatomy to her 12-year-old daughter, Stella, and bond by re-watching the show that launched her career. But just a few episodes into binging reality set in — she couldn’t stomach it.

Ellen Pompeo thought it would be a lovely idea: introduce  to her 12-year-old daughter, Stella, and bond by re-watching the show that launched her career. But just a few episodes into binging reality set in — she couldn't stomach it.Pompeo shared that tidbit with Katherine Heigl during their one-on-one interview for 's «Actors on Actors» series.

Grey’s Anatomy almost wasn’t Grey’s Anatomy.

The city is about to get a little more crowded with the return of Samantha Jones!

Former “Grey’s Anatomy” co-stars Ellen Pompeo and Katherine Heigl are together again — not in Seattle’s Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, mind you, but in a new joint interview for Variety.

It’s the reunion we’ve all been waiting for!

Katherine Heigl and Ellen Pompeo sat down together for the first time in eight years to talk all things "Grey's Anatomy" and how their lives have evolved since. The hit ABC drama has been airing since 2005, making it the longest-running scripted primetime show for the network. "Grey's Anatomy" was renewed for a 20th season in March.

Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series.The pair’s interview, which went live Tuesday, most notably featured details about Heigl’s sudden departure from the hit drama, which, at the time, gave her a reputation for being “difficult.”“I was so naive,” admitted the “Firefly Lane” actress, who said onlookers often make her “the bad guy.” “I got on my soapbox and I had some things to say, and I felt really passionate about this stuff. I felt really strongly.

Katherine Heigl is speaking out about the controversy surrounding those interviews which led to her being labelled difficult.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey had many love interests over 19 seasons of “Grey’s Anatomy,” from Patrick Dempsey’s Derek Shepherd to Scott Speedman’s Nick Marsh, but such constant relationship conflict ultimately became a source of frustration for the actor. During a “Grey’s” reunion interview with Katherine Heigl as part ofVariety’s “Actors on Actors” series, Pompeo lamented over Meredith’s lack of growth in her love life. “When you stay on a show and with a character that long…for me, I really need to make sense of things and I really need to see evolution and growth,” Pompeo said. “And with network television specifically, there has to be some consistency for the audience. The audience wants familiarity. The writers get stuck in the consistency of something, and it’s harder, which I always would argue against and say, ‘We have such an incredible fan base. They’re so loyal. They’ll literally come along with us no matter what we do.’ I think it’s okay for Meredith to stop making bad decisions.”

When Ellen Pompeo sees Katherine Heigl before our photo shoot, she offers a greeting worthy of Barbra Streisand. “Hello, gorgeous!” Pompeo exclaims, giving Heigl a hug. And suddenly, it’s like no time has passed since “Grey’s Anatomy” premiered as a midseason replacement in 2005 — after ABC executives considered not airing the show at all — in the time slot after “Desperate Housewives.” Ultimately, these two women somehow not only surpassed the ladies of Wisteria Lane, they redefined pop culture. Throughout this reunion, we seriously take you back to the first days of TV’s longest running primetime medical drama. As “Grey’s Anatomy” became an overnight sensation, Pompeo and Heigl were launched into the stratosphere of fame together, for better and for worse. On the plus side, the Shonda Rhimes-created series revolutionized television, with women and actors of color leading the show. Yet the sudden, sometimes toxic attention — as well as spending those long days and nights on the infamously grueling set during the early years — taught both of them hard-won lessons. “If you cannot stand up for yourself in this industry, very few people will stand up for you,” Heigl says to Pompeo. “So you’d better learn how to, and you’d better be OK with them not liking you for it. ”

Britain's Got Talent has revealed its wildcard for the highly-anticipated 2023 final on Sunday 4 June - and it is Tonikaku. The news was announced at the start of Sunday's show, where comedian Tonikaku appeared on stage as a surprise in the opening moments.

Ellen Pompeo and Katherine Heigl reunited for Variety’s “Actors on Actors” interview series, 13 years after the latter left “Grey’s Anatomy”.

Ellen Pompeo and Katherine Heigl are saying «all the things we weren’t going to say» in their new one-on-one interview for 's «Actors on Actors» series.The former co-stars sat down with one another to discuss everything from their least-favorite iconic scenes from the hit medical drama, to the ABC executive who almost didn't put it on the air.And, of course, they get into Heigl's controversial exit from the show in 2010, with the actress admitting, «I would not trade anything for my 20s, but I absolutely had no idea who I was and what I wanted and who I was supposed to be and who to make happy.»Controversy around Heigl's role on the show started during the 2008-09 season, when the actress publicly announced that she wouldn't be submitting herself for consideration at that year's Emmy Awards, saying that she «did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination.»Tensions between Heigl and creator Shonda Rhimes continued to rise until March 2010, when they reached an agreement to immediately release her from her contract, making the Jan. 21 episode her final appearance on the show — until an unexpected cameo in season 16, in an episode marking Justin Chambers' departure from the show.In their sit-down, Heigl and Pompeo discuss how the show's overnight success thrust them into the spotlight, paving the way for intense emotions on set.«I think that gave me this confidence that was a false sense of confidence,» Heigl recalls.

Seriously overdue. Grey’s Anatomy‘s Ellen Pompeo and Katherine Heigl sat down for a frank discussion about their career for Variety‘s Actors on Actors, which debuted on Tuesday, June 6.

With the announcement of three new Star Wars movies being made coming from Celebration, Fans are asking the big questions. When it was said that Rey would be getting another movie for her story many were surprised. With how much the Sequels divided the fandom it seemed like a low blow by Disney to add more wood to that fire.

Former BBC newsreader Kate Silverton has opened up about swapping her successful news career for becoming a qualified child therapist. In 2021, Silverton left her role as a newsreader because she was inspired by her “love” for child psychology.