30 Fascinating Facts About Ellen Pompeo We Bet You Never Knew

5 March 2019, 9:04 pm EST By Ruby Karnick

Ellen Pompeo, one of the highest paid television actors in the world, is well renowned for her role as Dr. Meredith Grey in the ABC's medical drama "Grey's Anatomy." She is the founder of the production company Calamity Jane. Here are some unknown facts about the American actress:

She did not audition for her most popular character of Dr. Meredith Grey. In fact, she did not even go to "Grey's Anatomy" audition, but for a different show titled "Secret Service," which was not picked up by any TV networks. She was asked to play in "Grey's Anatomy" instead.
Pompeo was honored with the Special Achievement in Entertaining Award in the year 2000, by the National Italian American Foundation for her contributions to the entertainment industry.
She was offered the role of Becky in the 2006 movie "Clerks II," but had to turn it down due to her commitment to "Grey's Anatomy."
She made her debut by guest-starring in the television series "Law & Order," the NBC legal police drama in the year 1996. The made a re-appearance in the same series in 2000.
Her first feature film was the 1999 movie "Coming Soon" in which she played the small part as the Upset Girl.
She went on to guest star in various series including the "Strangers with Candy," "Friends," and "Strong Medicine."
She got her first big role in the year 2002, when director Brad Silberling chose her for the lead role of Bertie Knox, in the movie "Moonlight Mile," alongside Jake Gyllenhaal.
She has constantly been reported by several media outlets as suffering from an eating disorder, which she heavily criticized and even called out the media irresponsible for promoting such rumors, as it might affect young girls who look up to her and try to become like her.
She is not a big fan of putting on make-ups, and claims that when she is not working, she never wears make-up, and even in case of going out, she goes for only doing a lip or a smoky black eye and a little Mascara.
Ellen Kathleen Pompeo was born on November 10, 1969 in Everett, Massachusetts to Joseph E Pompeo and Kathleen B Pompeo. She is the youngest of six children.

It is reported that she was nicknamed "The Pencil" and as "stracciatella" as a child for her slightly boyish figure.
Pompeo once in an interview stated that her acting career began by chance, and has also hinted that she might quit acting after "Grey's Anatomy," and think of a different career to challenge herself.
Before become the famous actress that she is today, she was a bartender at the SoHo Bar & Grill in New York City, where she was reportedly discovered first. She claims herself to be a "very good hustler," but not a great drink mixer.
She had a role as Naomi, Jimmy Carrey's ex-girlfriend, in the 2004 movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," but her scenes were later deleted from the final cut of the film. Even then, she felt grateful that director Michel Gondry selected her for his film.
With five awards and 15 nominations, including a Golden Globe nomination to her name, she is one of the most renowned television actresses in the world, just with her character of Dr. Meredith Grey in "Grey's Anatomy."
According to the Forbes 2018 annual list of highest paid TV actors, Pompeo was listed as the third highest female and the fifth highest actor overall, with an estimated earnings of US$23.5 million.
The role of Bertie Knox in "Moonlight Mile," earned her world-wide recognition, with commentators considering her performance worthy of an Academy Award.
She follows a very strict routine, being an early riser, waking up at 5:30 every day and going down the treadmill with her coffee. She also meditates for 20 minutes a day, twice a day, and can often be seen meditating in her trailer at work in between scenes.
She first dated fashion photographer Andrew Rosenthal, during her stay in Miami. It was with him that she moved to New York City, in the year 1995. She was first approached by a casting director to appear in various ads for Citibank and L'Oreal.
She was featured as Marci, in the 2003 biographical crime drama film "Catch Me If You Can," in which she had shared some scenes with Leonardo DiCaprio. They had reportedly shot a sex scene on the very first day of shooting, and Pompeo didn’t feel very comfortable doing it.

For the first season of "Grey's Anatomy," she had received around $200 per episode aired, being the lead in the show. Currently she receives a sum of $575,000 per episode.
She, along with Shonda Rhimes, Kerry Washington and Viola Davis, and appearances in an ad campaign for the 2016 US election supporting Hillary Clinton, praising the candidate.
She has a passion to buy houses and decorate them herself, and it is reported that she carried out part of the renovations of her vintage home in LA, all by herself. The entire process was documented and photographed by AD magazine.
A couple of weeks before the audition for the movie "Moonlight Mile," she had met Jake Gyllenhaal, accidentally in a room, where they sort of bumped into each other. He reportedly told her that she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
With the renewal of her contract for "Grey's Anatomy," she was also promoted to the rank of producer for the series, which will earn her a separate $6 million to $7 million annually.
She is one of the four members of the cast of "Grey's Anatomy," to be still on the show, right from the very beginning of the show. The others are Justin Chambers, Chandra Wilson, and James Pickens, Jr.
She met music producer Chris Ivery in a Los Angeles grocery store in the year 2003, and dated him for four years. The duo got married in 2007 in a civil ceremony, with Michael Bloomberg as the legal witness to the ceremony.
The couple grew up in Boston, only 10 miles from each other, but, they got to know this, only after they started dating. They have three children - two daughters - Stella Luna Pompeo Ivery and Sienna May Ivery, and a son - Eli Christopher Ivery.
She has been suffering from several allergies and asthma, due to which she can only own two toy poodles with her husband, because they don't shed.
She, being a close friend of American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, was featured in the music video of the most popular song "Bad Blood" in which her character's name is Luna. Her daughter's name is Stella Luna.