Ellen Pompeo spills on her 'emo' past and why she never felt like a 'cool girl'

Ellen Pompeo, who is known for her long-running role on Grey’s Anatomy, has shared that she went through an "emo" phase in high school.

Speaking to PEOPLE magazine, the 55-year-old actress revealed that she is the youngest of six children and when she was 4 years old, her mother, Kathleen, died from an accidental painkiller overdose.

Pompeo said, “I remember myself being really sad all the time. But then I see pictures of myself, and I was always laughing and looked really happy. So I don’t know if I’ve just always been an actress.”

The Station 19 star went on to reveal that she “was not popular” in high school.

She added, “I definitely wasn’t a cool-girl cheerleader with big b*****. I didn’t go to the prom or do any of that.”

Pompeo noted that she became interested in acting after seeing the Rockettes with her aunt at Radio City Music Hall, which got her “mesmerised.”

“I remember watching Michelle Pfeiffer in movies and saying, ‘Who is that, and how do I do that?’” the Daredevil actress recalled.

For the unversed, Ellen Pompeo, who was once not interested in film, has now worked in movies like Law and Order, Moonlight Mile, Art Heist, and others.

It is pertinent to mention that her upcoming project is Hulu’s new limited series Good American Family, which is set to debut on March 19, 2025.