Ellen Pompeo Promises She’ll ‘Never Truly Be Gone’ From ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ As She Steps Back

Ellen Pompeo will be a far less frequent presence on “Grey’s Anatomy” during the upcoming 19th season, set to appear in just eight of the 22 new episodes.

While a new crop of interns will be picking up the dramatic slack, Pompeo is allaying fans’ fears by promising that even though she won’t be around as much, she’ll still be part of the show.

“[‘Grey’s’ is] still gonna be just fine without me — I’m still gonna do the voiceover,” Pompeo told Deadline Friday on the red carpet for the Disney Legends ceremony at the D23 Expo.

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In addition to continuing her now-iconic narration, she added, “And I’ll be back at ‘Grey’s’ for the finale, and we’ll see if we can keep it going.”

Said Pompeo, “I’m gonna always be a part of that show — I’m an exec producer on that show, I’ve spent two decades of my career on that show, it’s my heart and soul, and I’ll never truly be gone as long as that show’s on the air.”

In the meantime, the upcoming season will be a bit of a transitional one. “We’re really trying to set up the next generation,” she explained of the hospital’s new interns, played by Alexis Floyd, Adelaide Kane, Niko Terho, Harry Shum Jr. and Midori Francis.

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“I’m really excited for them — they’re really great actors… They’re really excited to be there and they’re excited to tell these stories,” said Pompeo.

“It helps all of us who have been there since the beginning — it helps keep it new and fresh, so we’re really grateful to them,” she added.

Ellen Pompeo says “I’ll never truly be gone as long as that show (#GreysAnatomy) is on the air” #D23Expo pic.twitter.com/1i8Oof2EcD

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) September 9, 2022

The new season of “Grey’s Anatomy” debuts on Oct. 6.