Grey’s Anatomy” lead actress Ellen Pompeo, who plays the role of Dr. Meredith Grey, has dealt with her fair share of tabloid headlines since she sky-rocketed to fame in 2005. Keeping her family, including her husband, music producer Chris Ivery, and her children, Stella (15), Sienna (10) and Eli (8), out of the spotlight has been one of Pompeo’s main objectives So when it comes to traveling, Pompeo likes to fly under-the-radar.
The 55-year-old star recently revealed the lengths she goes to to stay unrecognized on planes during an interview with Travel & Leisure.
Pompeo Keeps it ‘Hush Hush’ While Traveling
While Pompeo revealed that she likes to spend her flights watching a show, reading a book, or doing “lots of deep breathing,” she similarly opened up about how far she’s willing to go to remain incognito while on planes.
“I just usually have a hat on, and I don’t speak,” said Pompeo, adding that “People recognize my voice, so I try not to talk.”
Even when she’s not traveling alone, Pompeo tries to keep it ‘hush hush’. “I try to use sign language with my kids,” she revealed, adding, “The minute I open my mouth everybody turns.”
Despite her efforts to remain unrecognized on flights, Pompeo told Travel & Leisure that she loves to travel, especially if it’s with her children.
Stella Luna Ivery, Ellen Pompeo, Eli Ivery, Chris Ivery at the ceremony honoring Ellen Pompeo with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
“I love any kind of trip as long as my kids are with me. I get a little bit anxious when I travel for work without my kids, but when we’re all together, we try to do it all and give them a good mix [of types of trips],” Pompeo explained.
Pompeo Reveals Her Dream ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Travel Partners
Speaking of travel partners, Pompeo revealed which of her “Grey’s Anatomy” co-stars she’d love to travel with.
Having appeared on all 21 seasons of the ABC medical drama, Pompeo has worked with plenty of talented actors, but when it came down to the wire, she admitted: “Definitely T.R. [Knight]. Or Katie [Katherine] Heigl.”
Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight on “Grey’s Anatomy”Getty
GREY’S ANATOMY – “It’s the End of the World (As We Know It)”
Both Knight and Heigl, who played Dr. George O’Malley and Dr. Izzie Stevens respectively, joined Pompeo’s Dr. Meredith Grey as Seattle Grace Hospital’s newest batch of surgical interns on the pilot episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2005.
Pompeo similarly remembered travelling with her on-screen husband, Patrick Dempsey (Dr. Derek Shepherd), saying that he was able to calm her nerves while in the air.
“I took a helicopter once with Dempsey, from the city out to the Hamptoons, and I really don’t like helicopters at all. Dempsey was pretty good with me on the helicopter. He calmed me down,” said Pompeo.
Ellen Pompeo will fly in for another appearance on “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 22, set to debut this fall on ABC.
