Shonda Rhimes jokes she was ‘terrified' of Ellen Pompeo after the actress was cast on ‘Grey's Anatomy'
Shonda Rhimes knows her friend and 'Grey's Anatomy' star Ellen Pompeo is always going to give her the truth, plain and simple.
It's why Rhimes lovingly admitted on Tuesday during her speech at Pompeo's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony that when she met the actress two decades ago during a lunch meeting, she was 'a little bit terrified' of her.
'After that lunch I went home and I literally wrote in my journal – I actually looked it up – 'This girl is a spitfire, she will lay you out with the truth, up, down and sideways,'' Rhimes said. 'I was absolutely thrilled and a little bit terrified because it's rare to meet somebody like her.'
Rhimes went on to say that 'very few people actually are who they present themselves to be but Ellen is exactly who she says she is, and you're one of a kind.'
Pompeo and Rhimes go as far back as at least 2005 when 'Grey's Anatomy' first debuted on ABC. The network drama follows the life of Meredith Grey, played by Pompeo, a surgeon at the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital.
The series is currently in its 21st season with Pompeo still leading the charge as the titular character. It is the longest-running medical drama on television, beating out 'ER,' which ran from 1994 to 2009.
Rhimes spoke on Tuesday about how even though as the showrunner and writer she created the character of Meredith Grey, Pompeo 'is' her but, she added, 'she's best when she's simply herself.'
'She's fierce and funny and thoughtful and caring. She's a businesswoman, a talented actor, a kind friend and a great mom,' she said. 'And I don't care who you are, even if you're the most powerful showrunner in TV, if you step out of line Ellen will tell you about yourself!'
Pompeo 'lives and breathes in the truth,' Rhimes said, 'and it's come to be my favorite thing.'
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