Biography: Ellen Pompeo

Ellen Kathleen Pompeo (born November 10, 1969) is an American actress, known for playing the title role of Meredith Grey on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy.

Early life

Ellen Kathleen Pompeo was born in Everett, Massachusetts, the daughter of Joseph, a salesman, and Kathleen Pompeo.^[1] Pompeo is of Irish and Italian descent and was raised Roman Catholic.^[2][3] Her grandfather was born in Gesualdo, a village in the Province of Avellino, Italy.^{[citation needed]} Her mother died when she was four years old due to a painkiller overdose following a severe accident when she was younger, and her father remarried soon after her mother's death. She was nicknamed the pencil and Stracciatella (which, translated from Italian, is a cream flavoured ice cream with solid dark chocolate inside).^[4]

For more than two years, she served cocktails in Miami, where she met fashion photographer Andrew Rosenthal, with whom she was romantically linked for some time. In 1996, she was bartending at the SoHo Bar & Grill in New York City's Upper West Side when an agent approached her to appear in commercials. Subsequently, she appeared in commercials for Citibank and L'Oréal. She began her career with minor roles on television shows like Strangers with Candy, Friends and Law & Order and a handful of films.

Career

Determined to succeed in acting, Pompeo moved to Los Angeles in 2001. A turning point came when she was selected by director Brad Silberling in 2002 for a role in his film Moonlight Mile playing Jake Gyllenhaal's sympathetic love interest. She also appeared in the film Daredevil playing Matt Murdock's (Ben Affleck) secretary Karen Page, but most of her scenes were deleted from the theatrical version of the film. In 2002, Pompeo appeared in Catch Me If You Can and in 2003, Old School. Television guest roles include two episodes of Law & Order and an episode of Friends. She portrayed Jim Carrey's ex-girlfriend, Naomi, in the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Although her scenes were cut from the film, she felt grateful that director Michel Gondry chose her to appear in his film.^[5]

Pompeo landed her first major role in the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy,which is now entering into its sixth season,^[6] as the title character, Meredith Grey, a surgical intern at a prestigious hospital. The show became the highest-rated on network TV in its fifth season. In 2007, Pompeo was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Series. That year, she also signed a new contract for Grey's Anatomy that increased her salary to $200,000 per episode. She is contracted with the show for seven seasons^[7]as is the standard length in Hollywood after which actors often demand large raises. Surgery residencies in the U.S. usually last between five and seven years.

On October 13, 2007, Pompeo was honored by the National Italian American Foundation for her achievement in entertainment at a black-tie gala in Washington, D.C.^[8]

Personal life

Pompeo married record producer Chris Ivery on Friday, November 9th, 2007. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was the legal witness to the ceremony. ^[9] Pompeo gave birth to the couple's first child together, a daughter named Stella Luna, on September 15, 2009.^[10]

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

4 Wins and 7 Nominations

References

1. ^ Ellen Pompeo Quietly Weds in New York - Weddings, Ellen Pompeo : People.com
2. ^ The Inner Actor: Ellen Pompeo: strength and tenacity from a challenging early life
3. ^ ELLENPOMPEO.NET - Ellen Pompeo Fansite
4. ^ Bried, Erin: "Anatomy lesson", Self, February 2006
5. ^ Bochroch, Judy: "Anatomy of a Late Bloomer", Allure, December 2006
6. ^ Ellen Pompeo Series 6 Interview
7. ^ Ellen Pompeo: Mer-Der, she wrote | Ellen Pompeo | The Q&A | TV | Entertainment Weekly | 2
8. ^ NIAF 32nd Anniversary Convention and Gala
9. ^ http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20160033,00.html
10. ^ http://www.usmagazine.com/momsbabies/news/ellen-pompeo-gives-birth-2009239

External links

• Ellen Pompeo at the Internet Movie Database
• Ellen Pompeo at TV.com
• Ellen Pompeo Video Biograph - National Italian American Foundation NIAF Gala 2007

Ellen Pompeo main page.