Ellen Pompeo: "I Don't Have a Strong Desire to Act After Grey's Anatomy"

Actress not sure she will continue on past the ABC drama's 12th season

After 11 years on Grey's Anatomy, Ellen Pompeo may be ready to quit the whole acting thing.

"I definitely don't have a strong desire to act after Grey's," the 44-year-old actress said at a panel tonight with Kerry Washington and Viola Davis, presented by Buzzfeed. "I definitely feel myself transitioning. I don't find acting terribly empowering. For the place I am in my life, I think my age, once I hit 40, I feel differently. I don't necessarily want to work for other people."

Asked if it's possible she won't be acting any more after Grey's, Pompeo said: "Oh absolutely. I mean, never say never, I'm not going to come out and make one of those statements like, 'I'm retiring after' and then in February come back. I try to keep an open heart, an open mind, an open soul and spirit to what ever comes my way and what ever is meant to be for me will be."

We all know the drill when an actor says he or she is ready to be done with the profession. Sometimes it sticks, and sometimes it…Evangeline Lilys. (Remember when she said that at the end of Lost?)

Ellen is already contracted through the end of a potential season 12, along with Patrick Dempsey, however ABC has yet to give the show an official 12^th season. (Season 11 premieres Sept. 25, along with Shonda's other two shows, Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder.) When asked if she's willing to go beyond that, she was a bit evasive.

"I can't possibly say," she answered. "I don't ever take anything for granted, and I would never be so arrogant as to assume the show would go to Season 12. If we're doing our jobs, then possibly we'll be grateful to get a Season 12, but I won't assume anything. Let's just make them happy now before we worry about making them happy four years from now."

Ellen has sold two projects this season via her Calamity Jane production company: a cop drama at ABC and a financial satire series called Debt at ABC Family.

"Grey's is in 97 countries or something and we've had this blessing of all these wonderful fans who still love us 10 years later, I feel like I did it and I don't have anything left to prove and I'd like to try to challenge myself," she expalained. "I feel like I got the acting thing. I'd like to see if I can be something different and be successful at something different. I feel like I'm very successful at acting. … For my journey, I feel like, OK, I did the absolute top of what I could do in television and I'd like to try a new sport and see if I'm any good at something else."