Ellen Pompeo is an American actress, director, and producer best known for her decade-and-a-half long portrayal of Meredith Grey on the ABC Medical Drama Grey’s Anatomy. In addition to acting, Ellen has also found success producing and directing on the show and she’s used her influence in Hollywood to create positive change for others. With such a successful career, let’s explore Ellen Pompeo’s net worth and uncover the details of her money-making journey.
Overview of Ellen Pompeo’s Net Worth
Ellen Pompeo has been one of the highest paid television actresses in recent years, making an average of $20 million per year. Times estimated her net worth as of 2019 to be approximately $50 million, making her one of the richest actors in the industry.
Early Life and Acting Career
Ellen Kathleen Pompeo was born on November 10, 1969, in Everett, Massachusetts and received her Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts from Boston College in 1993. After receiving her degree, Ellen moved to New York and began taking small acting roles with no acting training. In the beginning, she found success in commercials such as L’Oreal, Citibank and American Express.
Her breakout role came in 2005 when she was cast as the lead in the ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, where she has been playing the role of Meredith Grey for 15 years. Aside from acting, Ellen has also produced for, written and directed for the show, sharing dual credit with Shonda Rhimes in the process, something that was unprecedented.
Making Money Off of Grey’s Anatomy
Ellen is one of the few actresses in television to have a salary and a back-end ownership stake that it associated with her show. During the 2011–2012 television season, Ellen became one of the highest-paid actresses in television, receiving up to $350,000 per episode on Grey’s Anatomy, making her one of the few female actors to make over 1 million dollars for a single episode. Aside from the base salary, Ellen also receives a back-end cut of all DVD sales, ebook sales, and soundtracks.
In 2018, Ellen negotiated a multi-year $20 million a year deal where in addition to her salary, she is also an executive producer of the show, and will receive a piece of the show’s profits in syndication and future distribution.
By 2019, Ellen’s salary and backend ownership stake in Grey’s Anatomy made her one of the richest actors in television and the first TV actress to reach $20 million of earnings in a single year.
Other Endeavors Outside of Acting
In addition to her acting roles, Ellen is also a successful producer. She co-executive produced the 2008 movie Cougar Town and 2011 film Flypaper.
Ellen also owns a production company called Calamity Jane, which she founded in 2014. The company was behind a number of ABC productions, most notably Grey’s spinoffs Station 19 and Private Practice.
Philanthropy
Ellen is an outspoken philanthropist and activist for women’s rights and social justice issues. She has donated millions of dollars to various charities, such as Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Planned Parenthood, NAACP Legal Defence Fund, Red Cross, American Cancer Society, and the March of Dimes.
She is also the founder of Rose Group, Inc., an anti-racism initiative to unearth neuroses around race, diversity and inclusion in the entertainment industry and provide corrective approaches.
In conclusion, Ellen Pompeo’s net worth is estimated $50 million as of 2019, making her one of the top-paid actors on television. In addition to her successful acting career, her philanthropic endeavors and her production company Calamity Jane, have all contributed significantly to her current wealth.
