Ellen Pompeo: Grey's Anatomy used to be a "disaster behind the scenes" - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 06-05-2019, 07:35 PM

...with "very bad behavior"

https://variety.com/2019/tv/features...re-1203232936/

"The first 10 years we had serious culture issues, very bad behavior, really toxic work environment," Pompeo tells Empire's Taraji P. Henson in a Variety conversation, without going into specific details about the show's behind-the-scenes issues. Pompeo says she even considered leaving because of the bad environment. "But once I started having kids, it became no longer about me. I need to provide for my family," she says, adding that there were changes made after Season 10 that convinced her to stay. "At 40 years old, where am I ever going to get this kind of money? I need to take care of my kids," she says. "But after Season 10, we had some big shifts in front of the camera, behind the camera. It became my goal to have an experience there that I could be happy and proud about, because we had so much turmoil for 10 years. My mission became, this can’t be fantastic to the public and a disaster behind the scenes. Shonda Rhimes and I decided to rewrite the ending of this story. That’s what’s kept me. Patrick Dempsey left the show in Season 11, and the studio and network believed the show could not go on without the male lead. So I had a mission to prove that it could. I was on a double mission." Pompeo also discussed her salary discrepancy with Dempsey. "He was being paid almost double what I was in the beginning. He had a television quote. I had never done TV," she says. Pompeo says she was told Dempsey had "done 13 pilots." "Well, none of them have gone," says Pompeo. "I didn’t even realize until we were renegotiating Season 3. No one was offering that up." Henson responded: "That story sounds about like mine. But when all the tweets were about Cookie, I said, 'It’s time to renegotiate. Can everybody sit down at the table, please?' I’d been in the game long enough to know the numbers game, and I knew Cookie had become iconic. You need her. So I need my money."

TMC · 06-10-2019, 03:50 PM

Ellen Pompeo on saying Grey's Anatomy had a "toxic work environment": "None of my comments in print are ever meant to shade anyone"

"Hey! Anyone having feelings over Variety piece," Pompeo tweeted Saturday, reacting to the headlines over her comments in a Variety conversation with Taraji P. Henson that Grey's was "toxic" and a "disaster behind the scenes." "It’s not worth getting yourself upset over not singling anyone out..as a show we all had a part to play in the environment me included..as many workplaces do..We changed that story. That’s the story we all have the power to change!" She added in follow-up tweets: "None of my comments in print are ever meant to shade anyone. That’s so not productive. My words about my journey are always meant to inspire and reflect. My shade is very obvious when I’m not subtle about it you all should know that!! I’m aware how much love there is for this show and these characters...no one has more love than me..I’ve dedicated half my life to it. The show has been a blessing for us all in different ways. The negative vibes...not healthy....and ummmm a doctah"

06-05-2019, 07:35 PM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 126,740	Ellen Pompeo: Grey's Anatomy used to be a "disaster behind the scenes" ...with "very bad behavior" https://variety.com/2019/tv/features...re-1203232936/ "The first 10 years we had serious culture issues, very bad behavior, really toxic work environment," Pompeo tells Empire's Taraji P. Henson in a Variety conversation, without going into specific details about the show's behind-the-scenes issues. Pompeo says she even considered leaving because of the bad environment. "But once I started having kids, it became no longer about me. I need to provide for my family," she says, adding that there were changes made after Season 10 that convinced her to stay. "At 40 years old, where am I ever going to get this kind of money? I need to take care of my kids," she says. "But after Season 10, we had some big shifts in front of the camera, behind the camera. It became my goal to have an experience there that I could be happy and proud about, because we had so much turmoil for 10 years. My mission became, this can’t be fantastic to the public and a disaster behind the scenes. Shonda Rhimes and I decided to rewrite the ending of this story. That’s what’s kept me. Patrick Dempsey left the show in Season 11, and the studio and network believed the show could not go on without the male lead. So I had a mission to prove that it could. I was on a double mission." Pompeo also discussed her salary discrepancy with Dempsey. "He was being paid almost double what I was in the beginning. He had a television quote. I had never done TV," she says. Pompeo says she was told Dempsey had "done 13 pilots." "Well, none of them have gone," says Pompeo. "I didn’t even realize until we were renegotiating Season 3. No one was offering that up." Henson responded: "That story sounds about like mine. But when all the tweets were about Cookie, I said, 'It’s time to renegotiate. Can everybody sit down at the table, please?' I’d been in the game long enough to know the numbers game, and I knew Cookie had become iconic. You need her. So I need my money."

06-10-2019, 03:50 PM	#2
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 126,740	Ellen Pompeo on saying Grey's Anatomy had a "toxic work environment": "None of my comments in print are ever meant to shade anyone" "Hey! Anyone having feelings over Variety piece," Pompeo tweeted Saturday, reacting to the headlines over her comments in a Variety conversation with Taraji P. Henson that Grey's was "toxic" and a "disaster behind the scenes." "It’s not worth getting yourself upset over not singling anyone out..as a show we all had a part to play in the environment me included..as many workplaces do..We changed that story. That’s the story we all have the power to change!" She added in follow-up tweets: "None of my comments in print are ever meant to shade anyone. That’s so not productive. My words about my journey are always meant to inspire and reflect. My shade is very obvious when I’m not subtle about it you all should know that!! I’m aware how much love there is for this show and these characters...no one has more love than me..I’ve dedicated half my life to it. The show has been a blessing for us all in different ways. The negative vibes...not healthy....and ummmm a doctah"