ABCIs Ellen Pompeo getting ready to hang up her stethoscope? The Grey's Anatomy star hinted the end might be near for her and ABC's long-running medical drama while discussing the series with Entertainment Weekly.
"I'm clearly not prepared right now to make any kind of formal announcement about what my future is on the show, but I am really feeling like we have told the majority of the stories we can tell," Pompeo said. "It's about time that I mix it up. I'm definitely looking for a change."
When Pompeo signed her landmark new $20 million a year deal, she signed on for seasons 15 and 16. Season 15 debuts on Thursday, Sept. 27. Her deal also made her a producer on the series.
In 2017, Pompeo wasn't ready to say how much longer she saw the show going on.
"I don't know. I know that we want to try to—," she said, stopping herself. "Well, let's just see, you know? I don't like to take things for granted. You can't just assume the show can go on forever. It's up to the fans. And the fans will let us know how long they want the show to air."
Series creator Shonda Rhimes previously told E! News the show ends when Pompeo is done.
"Ellen and I have a pact that I'm going to do the show as long as she's going to do the show," Rhimes said. "So, the show will exist as long as both of us want to do it. If she wants to stop, we're stopping. So, I don't know if we'll see 600, but I want to keep it feeling fresh. As long as there are fresh stories to tell and as long as we're both excited about the stories being told, we're in. So, we'll see where that takes us."
Grey's Anatomy returns Thursday, Sept. 27 at 8 p.m. on ABC.