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« Today's News: Our Take
Grey's Raises: Pompeo Says OK, Dempsey Still Talking
Grey's Anatomy cast members Ellen Pompeo, James T. Pickens and Chandra Wilson have all signed on the dotted line with regards to their mid-contract pay increases, with Pompeo's new deal fetching her nearly $200,000 per episode, sources tell the Hollywood Reporter. Justin Chambers and T.R. Knight are said to be close to inking their respective deals, while talks continue for Patrick Dempsey, Sandra Oh and Katherine Heigl (whose negotiations stalled when they became public last week).
Kate Walsh, who's fronting the prospective Grey's spin-off, accordingly has a fresh deal in place, while the contract status of Isaiah Washington remains unclear, the trade reports, as it is being kept under tight wraps by the show's producer, ABC TV Studio.
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Mar 9, 2007 10:03 AM
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I just have to ask this. Why does Ellen Pompeo get so much more than the rest of the cast? Does anyone actually watch Grey's Anatomy to see her?! I watch in spite of her. I don't understand why they need to keep referring to her as the "star" or "lead" of the show, when clearly others like Chandra Wilson make the show what it is.
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Mar 9, 2007 10:09 AM
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I totally agree with the above poster. I watch Grey's Anatomy for all the characters other than Meredith. When Ellen Pompeo is onscreen, it's my cue to do something else. And because I usually record it and watch NBC or CBS, when I do play it, I "Sukie" her scenes.
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Mar 9, 2007 10:29 AM
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i'd most definitely stop watching without patrick dempsey... that gorgeous hair is the only thing that keeps me sane.
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Mar 9, 2007 10:37 AM
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I'm starting to see where Katherine Heigl is coming from after this. While I don't think that Ellen Pompeo is a detriment to the show, it does seem excessive to pay her $75,000 more an episode than they do TR Knight and Justin Chambers. From an entertainment perspective, the "supporting" players do provide more enjoyment than Ellen Pompeo alone. And even from a business perspective, she can't be working many more hours than the others. What Grey's does beautifully more than any other show (coughLostcough) is incorporate all of its players into nearly all its scenes. Therefore, a large chunk of the cast is going to be on set working at all times. It does seem unfair that Ellen receive so much more money just because her character narrates. While giving them all equal salaries a la the Friends gang seems unnecessary, I think their pay should definitely be within a certain range of each others.
This is just bad for business for Grey's.
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Mar 9, 2007 10:39 AM
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jealous much? Seriously - not every cast member deserves the same as each other...Sandra Oh is in a class all by herself, as is Chandra Wilson. The details of their salaries should not be made public.
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Mar 9, 2007 10:45 AM
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Sorry kids, like Meredith or not, the show is called "Grey's Anatomy", she's the lead and she's the center of the action. Therefore, she's gonna get a little more scratch. Sure, the show could go on without her, but they'd need a whole different name.
I'm probably not the first one to make this "suggestion", but will the spinoff be called "Montgomery Ward"?
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Mar 9, 2007 10:53 AM
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jealous much? Seriously - not every cast member deserves the same as each other...Sandra Oh is in a class all by herself, as is Chandra Wilson. The details of their salaries should not be made public.
Absolutely 100% agree, what these people earn should be none of our business. They're actors, they have jobs just like the rest of us, and none of us needs to know how much each of us makes.
At one of my past jobs, one employee "accidentally" found a list of the departmental earnings on her supervisor's desk and made copies of the list and passed it out. Needless to say, many people were extremely upset, and she was promptly fired. While I feel bad for anyone who loses his/her job, she deserved to.
I just think that this information shouldn't be publicized.
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Mar 9, 2007 11:09 AM
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I think Ellen Pompeo does an amazing job as Meredith. The emotion she shows in her role is so real. (For example the recent scene when she told her mother why she was ordinary and the fight in the stairwell last season.) The chemistry between her and Patrick Dempsey seems so real. You may not like her character because she is very self-focused and whiny but who wouldn't be if they'd been through all that her character has. Part of what I love about Grey's is as the characters' backgrounds unfold we understand their flaws. The flawed characters coupled with the humor and drama are what make this show so popular. I really think the whole cast does an outstanding job and if they're happy enough to sign their contracts that works for me. When it's all said and done they'll all end up making over $2 million a year. Who could be upset about that?
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Mar 9, 2007 11:23 AM
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Why should she get more? Maybe because the show is centered around her - that's why its called Greys Anatomy. Like her or not that's how it works.
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Mar 9, 2007 12:15 PM
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I agree. The show is called "GREY'S Anatomy", not "McDreamy", not "Yang's Anatony". No, I'm not particularly an Ellen Pompeo (or Meredith) fan, I'm a Bailey/Chandra Wilson fan myself. But Ellen IS the star of the show and for that she should get some more $. If someone paid me PER EPISODE what these people make, I'd be set for life! Stop complaining about salaries when there are TONS of other people working 2-3 jobs just to make ends meet. Whether it's 75K or 200K per ep, that's a LOT of money. How many eps are there a season? 22? 23? Do the math. PLUS they get summers off to either a) work on something else or b) go on vacation.
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Mar 9, 2007 12:16 PM
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It's Grey's Anatomy... of course Ellen Pompeo will get the bigger check - she is Dr. Grey.
Is her character likeable? No. Can there be a Grey's Anatomy with out her? No.
Compare it to ER - if you took out the Emergency Room - you wouldn't have a show!
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Mar 9, 2007 12:20 PM
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I don't care how much these people make because in the end it doesnt come out of my pocket. Now, if they were public officials etc then yeah I would care to know. Too much has been aired already in public about what is going on behind the scenes on that show. I just wish they could keep their dirty laundry etc hush hush, the same way they do what is going to happen in next week's episode. I think Pompeo has every right to make whatever it is she makes. The show is called after all Grey's Anatomy: Not Shepherd's Anatomy or Bailey's Anatomy. Remember that Pompeo is playing a charachter with a lot of issues etc and she isnt the one that writes the stuff that comes out of Mer's mouth. Yes, the actors around her are very strong and they are being recognized with nominations and awards. This used to happen to Jerry Seinfeld too. He never won the emmy for his acting but the bottomline was the show was named Seinfeld, not Alexander, Louis Dreyfus etc.
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Mar 9, 2007 12:27 PM
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Compare it to ER? I get what you're trying to say, but come on, that is a ri-donkey-lous comparison.
I don't think Meredith Grey's despicable character wouldn't be so hard to take if Ellen Pompeo weren't such a despicable person herself. Talk about a waste of a life. As for her acting, well, I haven't seen any yet - she's the weakest link by far, I feel so bad for Patrick Dempsey during their scenes I actually find myself cringing for him, amazed that he can do such a good job when he gets so little in return from her. Any chemistry is impossible, because you can see Meredith daydreaming about her next manicure or massage appointment in almost every scene she's in.
But what's really getting lost in all this is Isaiah Washington. The intense secrecy surrounding him just makes me wonder even more - is he gone by the end of this season? I think Shonda Rhimes might seriously be considering firing his black a$$!
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Mar 9, 2007 12:35 PM
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I know a lot of people have said this in other comments but seriously people of coarse she is going to get a bigger pay check, the show is Grey's Anatomy, and they couldnt do without her! She has a great character, maybe she isnt your favorite or the best but she definently makes the show! And the story line would just die if she wasnt in it! Her and Patrick Dempsey make it look so real as a couple. I wish i was ellen pompeo there but im not not!  Anyway she is going to get paid more when its her show so thats how it is! And adding to the spin off part, i wish they wouldnt do that cuz it might ruin the show, plus i really like Kate Walsh on the show! Whats going to happen with her and Sloan and Alex!? Anyway i LOVE this show!
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Mar 9, 2007 12:44 PM
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