"We cried"— Ellen Pompeo opens up about "uncomfortable" intimate scene on Grey's Anatomy with T. R. Knight
In a recent interview, Ellen Pompeo shared that she experienced "uncomfortable" feelings during an intimate scene from season 2 of Grey's Anatomy with T. R. Knight. On March 19, 2024, on the Call Her Daddy podcast, she detailed the acting difficulties both actors experienced while filming the scene.
"We cried. And the scene was so uncomfortable and awkward, and he didn't want to do that. I didn't want to do it, and when we filmed it, it was so bad," Pompeo recalled.
The scene, originally aired in 2006, depicted Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) rebounding after her breakup with Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) by sleeping with George (T. R. Knight), which led to an emotional and tense moment. Pompeo further shared that ABC required them to reshoot the scene, making the experience even more challenging.
Ellen Pompeo opens up about the emotional challenges of filming Meredith and George's intimate scene
During her conversation with host Alex Cooper, Ellen Pompeo explained that the ABC executives deemed the first take of the scene inappropriate.
"In your worst nightmare, you had to do it one time — we had to reshoot that s–t, we had to reshoot it and do it twice," she stated.
The network reportedly believed there was "too much thrusting" for it to air as originally filmed. Pompeo also shared that she has never watched the final version of the scene.
"I've never seen it, but I don't know how it was shot, covered, or how it was edited," she admitted.
She recalled crying throughout filming, emphasizing that the tears in the scene were real. The storyline featured George O'Malley, who had long harbored feelings for Meredith, finally confessing his emotions, only for the encounter to end with Meredith breaking down in tears.
The dramatic event produced persistent rivalry between characters within the narrative of the extended television series. According to Ellen Pompeo, the intense emotional tone of this scene made it exceptionally challenging for both her and Knight to perform their roles.
"There was a lot of stuff I didn't want to do at the time," Ellen Pompeo added, referencing other moments from Grey's Anatomy, including the famous "Pick me, choose me, love me" speech. She admitted she initially disliked the line but recognized its cultural impact.
"It ended up being the biggest thing ever, the most iconic thing ever," she noted.
The medical drama broadcasting on network television began on March 27, 2005, before transitioning into one of the most extended-running shows in primetime history.
The Shonda Rhimes-created TV series, Grey's Anatomy, has aired over 400 episodes and won multiple awards, including the 2007 Golden Globe for Best Drama Series, according to Britannica.
Ellen Pompeo also discussed her decision to reduce her involvement in Grey's Anatomy, after leading the show as Meredith Grey for nearly two decades.
"I just knew I couldn't do Grey's anymore, to the point where I felt like, you know, an animal at the zoo," she explained.
In 2022, Deadline reported that Ellen Pompeo would take on a more limited role in the series while focusing on new projects, including her Hulu show Good American Family. Although she has stepped away from her full-time role, she remains connected to Grey's Anatomy and continues to be recognized as the face of the long-running medical drama as a producer in a supporting role.
