greys anatomy season 13
Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey in Grey's Anatomy season 13 ABC

Grey's Anatomy has seen several actors like Patrick Dempsey leaving the medical drama over the years, but Ellen Pompeo has stayed with the show for over 13 seasons now. The actress in an interview revealed that her decision to stay with Shonda Rhimes' hit ABC's show was "based solely on age."

Pompeo told People Style, "My decision to stay on Grey's was based solely on age. At 33, I was wise enough to know my clock was already ticking in Hollywood."

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The actress said that she got a "super late start" in acting career, and landed her first roles in her mid-twenties. Admitting that that if she had been younger, "I probably would have done my time, then gone out to search for other things" the actress said that she "was definitely aware of how challenging it would be to find other roles in my late 30s and early 40s."

However, the actress revealed that she had no regret playing Dr. Meredith Grey. "I thought, 'Why would I leave something that is super successful and pays me great to search the landscape?' I decided that I would stay on Grey's and be grateful and try to ride it out for as long as I could. And I am very happy that I made the decision to stay. It's only gotten better with time."

The 46-year-old actress also said that the toughest part of her job was watching herself age on Television. "Watching myself age on TV is miserable. To be honest, it's the toughest part of my job. But as uncomfortable as watching myself age is, I don't think focusing on physical beauty is necessarily the best thing for your mind. It's a natural thing that we all do, but I don't think it's the healthiest thing. The older you get, the more you realise life isn't about your looks. Everyone ages, and it's okay," she added.

Pompeo has been a part of a campaign called Philosophy that helps women approach ageing with a cool attitude. "Act your age in all the right ways," is the motto of the Philosophy campaign. The Greys Anatomy actress said, "I was flattered to join the campaign because it speaks to stereotypes I feel strongly about. As a woman you're not over or on the decline after having children or after 40. It all just gets better!"

Ellen Pompeo will be seen as Meredith Grey when Grey's Anatomy returns with season 13 on 22 September on ABC Network.