Ellen Pompeo Thinks That "Grey's Anatomy" Should Be "Less Preachy" About Social Issues

    "I think I’d like to see things happen a little more subtly and over time.”

    Listen, Ellen Pompeo is Grey's Anatomy. She has been on the show for basically forever now.

    Ellon the red carpet

    So it's not surprising when she has opinions on the nuts and bolts of the show itself — but, still, her latest comments regarding all things Grey's stand out.

    ellen in scrubs

    On a recent episode of her Tell Me with Ellen Pompeo podcast, the actor revealed her thoughts about how the show's tackled social issues over the years.

    ellen on grey's anatomy

    “I think if I had any desire, honestly, it would be to be less sort of preachy in one episode about certain things," she said, before citing a recent episode about anti-Asian hate crimes that was "really moving."

    Ellen smiling

    "I think I’d like to see things happen a little more subtly and over time," she continued, before elaborating on what that means to her.

    Ellen on the show

    Ellen explained that, rather than "constantly [hitting] you over the head for just one hour," Grey's should “touch on these social issues that are important and have them be threads throughout."

    ellen on the show

    So, essentially, Ellen is saying that Grey's should be covering social issues with nuance and consistency, instead of occasionally zeroing in on them when the mood strikes.

    close up of Ellen

    But Ellen also might not be around as much to see these potential changes take place, as she's set to take a reduced role in the show's upcoming 19th season.

    ellen on the show

    According to Entertainment Weekly, she'll only appear in eight episodes of the forthcoming season, although she will remain as an executive producer of the show. So we'll see how everything on the show plays out from here regardless.

    Ellen on the show

    Listen to the entire podcast episode here.