Ellen Pompeo on That Iconic Grey’s Anatomy Line: 'Why Would I Beg?'
Ellen Pompeo didn’t always appreciate her character's famous quote on Grey’s Anatomy. The line, "Pick me, choose me, love me," made during a heartfelt moment in 2005, didn’t sit well with her.
While discussing her experience on Alex Cooper’s 'Call Her Daddy' podcast, Pompeo expressed her thoughts on Meredith Grey's plea to Derek Shepherd (played by Patrick Dempsey). She summarized her reaction with two words: "Girl. bye." Pompeo explained, "There was a lot of stuff that I didn't wanna do at the time. I didn’t wanna say, ‘Pick me, choose me, love me.’"
Despite her hesitation, Pompeo recognized that show creator Shonda Rhimes had a deeper insight into the audience's reaction. She recalled, "She knew that was gonna pop." Pompeo admitted her initial reluctance, asking herself, "Why would I beg, why would I?" Ultimately, she acknowledged that Rhimes led her to do it, which transformed the moment into one of the most memorable and iconic scenes in television history.
Pompeo previously shared her discomfort with this line. In a 2023 conversation with Katherine Heigl for Variety’s 'Actors on Actors" series, she noted that she "fought that speech so hard." She emphasized, "Why would I beg a man? I can’t beg a man on TV, this is so embarrassing." Despite her objections, that moment contributed to the show's massive success.
She further remarked, "In the scene, I’m crying, but I’m really crying because I have to beg a man on television."
More Emotional Moments on Set
Pompeo's tears weren’t limited to that memorable line. On Call Her Daddy, she recalled another scene where both she and T.R. Knight shed real tears. This occurred during their characters' difficult season 2 sex scene. She explained, "The scene was so uncomfortable and awkward, and he didn't wanna do that. I didn't wanna do it." Reflecting on filming, she stated, "And when we filmed it, it was so bad."
Earlier, SSP reported that Madelyn Cline shut down dating rumors with Charles Melton.