Los Angeles, Jan 18 (PTI) Ellen Pompeo may be the highestpaid female drama star on prime time but she says the changedid not take place overnight as she once asked and failed toget USD 5,000 more than her former co-star Patrick Dempsey.
Dempsey's exit from the show in the 11th season, however,turned out to be a turning point for Pompeo.
"They could always use him as leverage against me —'Wedon't need you; we have Patrick'—which they did for years. Idon't know if they also did that to him, because he and Inever discussed our deals.
There were many times where I reached out about joiningtogether to negotiate, but he was never interested in that. Atone point, I asked for USD 5,000 more than him just onprinciple, because the show is Grey's Anatomy and I'm MeredithGrey. They wouldn't give it to me," Pompeo told The HollywoodReporter.
The actor said she thought about walking out but she didnot as she thought it was her show and Meredith Grey a greatpart.
Now Pompeo has a new deal, which extends her presence infront of the camera on Grey's Anatomy for at least two moreyears through season 16 though ABC is yet to renew the series.
She is also getting a producer's role on the long-runningmedical drama and its spinoff.
The new contract, which includes backend equity points onthe show, will net Pompeo USD 20 million a year.
Talking about Dempsey's dramatic exit from the show,Pompeo said it turned out to be a ratings victory.
"So, what does it look like when he leaves the show?First, it looks like a ratings spike, and I had a nice chuckleabout that. But the truth is, the ink wasn't even dry on hisexit papers before they rushed in a new guy," Pompeo revealed.
The actor said it did not take much time before thenetwork people rushed to fill Dempsey's spot.
"I was on vacation in Sicily, decompressing—it was a longworking relationship and it was a tumultuous end and I neededa moment to just chill with some rosé—and they're calling me,going, 'What do you think of this guy?' 'What do you think ofthis guy?' And they're sending pictures. I was like, 'Are youpeople f**king nuts? Why do you feel that you have to replacethis person?'""I couldn't believe how fast the studio and the networkfelt like they had to get a penis in there. We brought inMartin Henderson, but they didn't love the storyline, so thatended." PTI BKBK.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.