Ellen Pompeo acts on television.
Ellen Pompeo . She made her screen debut with NBC 's legal drama Law & Order , and then guest-starred in other television shows , including the comedy Strangers with Candy , the medical drama Strong Medicine and the sitcom Friends . Pompeo then starred in ABC 's popular medical drama Grey 's Anatomy ( 2005 -- present ) , and garnered worldwide recognition for her portrayal of the title character Dr. Meredith Grey . The character became widely popular , making Pompeo one of the most popular television actresses . In 2015 , Pompeo was ranked fourth in the list of highest paid TV actresses by Forbes , with the earnings of $ 11.5 million , a spot that she held on to the following year with the earnings of $ 14.5 million . Meredith Grey , M.D. is a fictional character from the medical drama television series Grey 's Anatomy , which airs on the American Broadcasting Company ( ABC ) in the United States .