Ellen Pompeo dedicated nearly 20 years of her life to Grey's Anatomy, but now it's time to move on. The actress kicked off her career with comedy movies before playing the character that everybody knows her for: Meredith Grey, a caring and sharp-witted doctor who was born to help out others.

Grey's Anatomy has moved on without Meredith, but fans haven't moved on from her yet. Most people only know Pompeo for her lead role in one of the best medical dramas of all time, which is already a lot, but the actress has played many memorable characters throughout the years. One of her best performances, Naomi in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, was unfortunately cut from the movie, making the deleted scenes a must-watch. Hopefully, Pompeo will star in new, exciting movies and TV shows in the future.

Rotten Tomatoes

IMDB

Where to Watch

38%

4.5

Stream on Plex

Coming Soon is the closest thing to a Sex and the City film set in high school, where a trio of teenage girls decide to help each other thrive in their sexual lives, from losing their virginity to experiencing an orgasm for the first time. Apart from Pompeo, who makes her film debut as an upset student, other veterans such as Ashton Kutcher, Mia Farrow, and Ryan Reynolds play relevant characters in the film.

The film effectively addresses the transition to womanhood through sexual liberation, but it might have come out at the wrong time when feminist values were still taboo in commercial comedies. Still, Coming Soon works as an exciting product of its time.

Rotten Tomatoes

IMDB

Where to Watch

54%

6.0

Rent on Amazon

Fans of the TV show The Bear will have a blast with In the Weeds, a workplace rom-com following the staff of an upscale New York restaurant. Pompeo plays Martha, who's struggling with her first night as a waitress, just when a special guest's arrival leads to mayhem in the restaurant.

In the Weeds isn't too different from other cliche rom-coms of the time but benefits from a vast array of exciting characters. The idea of contrasting backstories clashing in a single environment sets up good opportunities for romance and good character interactions. Pompeo's Martha delivers as a compelling side character at the center of the movie's funniest moments.

Rotten Tomatoes

IMDB

Where to Watch

54%

5.7

N/A

Pompeo's fans will have a hard time finding Undermind to stream online, but those who do stumble upon it will find a hidden gem filled with mystery and fantasy. In the film, a successful lawyer and a criminal inexplicably swap lives. They are forced to confront their new social spheres and solve a mystery that defies everything they thought they knew.

The film has a lot of early Charlie Kaufman and David Lynch in it, from the disorienting ambiance to the fantastical elements placed in a grounded narrative. Pompeo is a scene-stealer as Flynn, the main character's charming love interest, although Undermind's MVP is the script, which enables the story to navigate through a variety of genres without losing its charm.

A man blinded by toxic waste which also enhanced his remaining senses fights crime as an acrobatic martial arts superhero.

Rotten Tomatoes

IMDB

Where to Watch

43%

5.3

Rent on AppleTV+

Pompeo wasn't able to redeem the infamous 2003 movie adaptation of Daredevil, but she deserved a second chance as Karen Page. While it's hard to go as far as to call Daredevil a great superhero film, fans might have been too harsh on it over the years: the characterization and tone are fairly adapted. It follows Matt Murdock struggling to balance a promising lawyer career with his desire to disrupt the evil conspiracies taking over Hell's Kitchen.

Daredevil gathers a star-studded cast that includes Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, and Colin Farrell, and while each actor does their best to save the film, the narrative can often feel all over the place. Pompeo steals the show for herself as the iconic Karen Page, who works as a secretary at Murdock and Franklin Nelson's law firm. The character is famously known as Murdock's special love interest, but the chemistry between the two is left underdeveloped in the 2003 adaptation: for creative reasons, Elektra was given the screen time Page deserved.

Barely 17 yet, Frank is a skilled forger who has passed as a doctor, lawyer and pilot. FBI agent Carl becomes obsessed with tracking down the con man, who only revels in the pursuit.

Rotten Tomatoes

IMDB

Where to Watch

96%

8.1

Stream on Paramount+

Catch Me If You Can is a beloved gem from Steven Spielberg's early 2000s career. Based on a true story, the movie recounts the rise and fall of Frank Abagnale Jr.: a young yet highly skilled forger who passes himself as a doctor, a Pan Am pilot, and a lawyer, successfully snitching millions of dollars worth of checks as the FBI follows hot on his tail.

Pompeo plays a supporting role as a flight attendant in a pivotal moment of the film, and despite her short screen time, Catch Me If You Can stands out as the best film in the actress' career. Her scene in the film perfectly showcases Frank Abagnale Jr.'s gift for manipulation, who wins over Pompeo's character with his irresistible charm.

Follows Chandler, Joey, Monica, Phoebe, Rachel and Ross, friends who live in the Manhattan borough of New York City.

Rotten Tomatoes

IMDB

Where to Watch

78%

8.9

Stream on Max

Friends was famous for its great guest star appearances, and Pompeo got to showcase her talent for comedy in a memorable one-off performance. In Season 10, episode 11, "The One Where the Stripper Cries," Chandler and Ross go to a college reunion, where the two spot Missy Goldberg, played by Pompeo, a good-looking woman who inspired the two to come up with a pact in their college years.

According to the pact, Chandler and Ross had to agree on which girls neither of them were allowed to date. Ross asks Chandler's permission to break the pact and approach Missy, only to find out that she and Chandler used to make out on a daily basis at the college's science lab. Pompeo appears both in a flashback scene and in the present, nailing the comedic timing alongside the two beloved main characters.

New York's finest police detectives and prosecutors fight to make the city a safer place. With integrity as the guiding force from investigation to verdict, the teams weigh every perspective in their commitment to finding justice.

Rotten Tomatoes

IMDB

Where to Watch

83%

7.8

Stream on Peacock

Pompeo made two impactful appearances in Law & Order, arguably the most influential show about crime investigations and courtroom dramas. The procedural series, which aired in 1990, is heading toward its 24th season: it follows the routine of talented New York police officers and prosecutors trying to solve all sorts of hideous crimes.

Pompeo made her screen debut in Season 6, Episode 16, "Savior," where she plays Jenna Weber, the daughter of a man suspected of killing his wife and son. The emotionally charged performance granted the actress a chance to return in Season 10, Episode 15, "Fools for Love." She plays Laura Kendrick, who gets implicated in horrific acts of sexual violence and murder because of her boyfriend's manipulations.

This spinoff of the critically acclaimed show Grey's Anatomy follows the lives of the men and women of firehouse station 19 in Seattle, Washington.

Rotten Tomatoes

IMDB

Where to Watch

93%

7.0

Stream on Hulu

It's difficult to label Station 19 as simply set in the same universe as Grey's Anatomy, for this universe would be Seattle, Washington. However, the showrunners came up with a great idea to tie the original show and the spin-off series together by making crossover episodes where the characters of both shows interact with each other.

Pompeo's famously known character, Meredith Grey, appears in Station 19's very first episode as if crowning Andy Ferrera, a firefighter-turned-captain of Station 19 of the Seattle Fire Department. Different from the medical drama Grey's Anatomy, Station 19 follows the professional and personal lives of a firehouse station staff. Pompeo's appearance in the show's pilot marked the first of great crossovers between the two shows.

Rotten Tomatoes

IMDB

Where to Watch

60%

7.0

Stream on Paramount+

Old School is a slapstick comedy starring comedy veterans such as Will Ferrell, Luke Wilson, and Vince Vaughn as Frank, Mitch, and Bernard: three losers who decide to start a fraternity to reclaim their glory days at college. Pompeo adds a spice of romance as Nicole, Mitch's high school crush, with whom he reunites at the start of the movie but makes a catastrophic impression.

After almost two decades working on Grey's Anatomy, Old School is solid proof that Pompeo should go experiment with rom-coms once again. Whenever Nicole appears, she enlightens the movie, and although Mitch and her start off on the wrong foot, everything leads to their eventual reconciliation.

n/a

Release Date

IMDB

Where to Watch

2002

6.6

Stream on Hoopla

Despite being an overlooked gem, Moonlight Mile enlists a cast of A-list such as Dustin Hoffman, Susan Sarandon, and Jake Gyllenhaal for an emotionally impactful drama. The story is centered around Joe, a young man whose fiance is unexpectedly murdered. Troubled by his loss, Joe finds comfort in late-night drinks with Bertie, played by Pompeo, with whom he develops a powerful bond.

Moonlight Mile delivers Pompeo's most mature pre-Grey's Anatomy performance. Bertie is a kind, affectionate woman struggling with her brother's disappearance in Vietnam. Tragedy unites Joe and her, and a genuine sense of kinship evolves into a romance.

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10 Best Ellen Pompeo Movie and TV Show Roles That Aren't Grey's Anatomy - CBR - Comic Book Resources