Ellen Pompeo - Oly Barnsley Photoshoot

Ellen Pompeo (born November 10, 1969) is a Screen Actors Guild award winning American actress, best known for playing the title role of Meredith Grey on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Pompeo was born in Everett, Massachusetts, then lived on New York City's Upper West Side. Her grandfather was born in Gesualdo, a village in Province of Avellino, Italy. Her mother died when she was four years old. In 1996, she was bartending at the SoHo Bar & Grill when an agent approached her about appearing in commercials. She subsequently appeared in commercials for Citibank and L'Oreal. She began her career with minor roles on television shows like Strangers with Candy and a handful of films