Ellen Pompeo is out here keeping it real about money, fame, and why Patrick Dempsey’s paycheck made her a little bitter—but like, in a fair way.
During her appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast (where no topic is too scandalous), Ellen dove into the time she got paid less than Patrick when Grey’s Anatomy started. And, spoiler alert: she totally got why… but that didn’t mean she had to like it.
McDreamy’s Bank Account Was Dreamier Than Hers
“When I signed on for the pilot, Patrick was making more money than me. It was what it was,” Ellen admitted, before hitting us with some chef’s kiss commentary on Hollywood.
“To be completely fair, the TV industry was a different beast back then. He had done 13 pilots before me. And let’s be honest, only a man can fail that many times and still get a raise,” she joked. “But hey, his rate was his rate.”
Ellen acknowledged that Patrick was The Guy at the time. “No one knew who I was. Everybody knew who he was. So he deserved the money,” she said. (Ugh, the pain of logic.)
Meredith Deserved More—And She Knew It
Even though she understood why Patrick was making bank, Ellen was still side-eyeing the system. “I wasn’t mad at him, I was mad that the higher-ups didn’t value me as much,” she said. “And honestly? They never will.”
Plot twist: Fast forward to 2018, and Ellen made sure they valued her. She re-negotiated her contract like an absolute boss and secured a casual $20 million per year. That included $575,000 per episode (cha-ching), plus another $6 to $7 million in bonuses and backend deals.
“I asked Shonda first,” she revealed, because even when you’re about to demand all the money, respect is key. “I told her, ‘I’m going to go in and ask for this much—are you cool with that?’”
The Disney Princess of Grey’s Anatomy
Ellen knew what she was worth and wasn’t about to settle. “I have the data to prove it,” she said. “The show made a ton of money, and I definitely deserved a percentage of that.”
And in true queen behavior, she ended with a rallying cry for all women: “I always advocate for women to fight for what they deserve—because let’s be real, we’re probably getting shortchanged.”
Lesson of the day? Always know your worth. And if you have to fight for your bag, fight hard.
@callherdaddy Can’t recall the last time a man’s salary was publicly scrutinized 🤔 @Ellen Pompeo ♬ original sound – Call Her Daddy
