Ellen Pompeo Calls Out Lack Of Diversity In Hollywood: As Caucasian People, It’s Our Job!

Ellen Pompeo Calls Out Lack Of Diversity In Hollywood

In an interview for Porter Magazine’s Women In Television issue, Grey’s Anatomy star and Hollywoods highest paid woman in television, Ellen Pompeo, sat alongside fellow actresses Gabrielle Union, Gina Rodriquez, and Emma Roberts to discuss certain issues women deal with in Hollywood. One of those issues happens to be diversity, which Ellen Pompeo believes still has a long way to go.

Mid-interview, Pompeo called out the magazine for not having enough people of color on set, saying that the staff and crew did not mimic the diversity she sees in her everyday life.

This day has been incredible, and there’s a ton of women in the room, but, I don’t see enough color. And I didn’t see enough color when I walked in the room today.  I had a meeting with the director of another endorsement project that I’m doing and I said, ‘You know, when I show up on set, I would like to see the crew look like the world that I walk around in every day.’ And I think it’s up to all productions to make sure that your crew looks like the world we see. 

Pompeo continued,

As Caucasian people, it’s our job. It’s our task, it’s our responsibility to make sure we speak up in every single room we walk into. It’s our job because we created the problem.

Ellen Pompeo got emotional as Gina and Gabrielle discussed moments when they noticed a space was not inclusive but were not sure how to go about addressing it without becoming “ungrateful brown women”. Fighting back tears, Ellen responded on behalf of white women,

That’s why it’s our job. That’s why I say we bear the burden. Because they don’t feel comfortable to speak up and I’m happy to take it on in any room at any time. I don’t need a space, I’m good! If that’s what I have to sacrifice, it’s the right thing to do. It’s been too long where the right thing is never done. 

Ellen Pompeo has been married to Chris Ivory, a black man, for 11 years. They have 3 children together. It’s no wonder she’s big on diversity and inclusion.

Watch the full interview below.