Ellen Pompeo

Born near Boston Nov. 10, 1969, Ellen Pompeo -- the youngest in a brood of six --- was working as a New York City bartender when a talent agent tapped her to appear in commercials. A string of minor television roles followed on shows such as "Strangers with Candy" (1999) and "Law & Order" (2000), and her big-screen breakthrough came playing Jake Gyllenhaal's girlfriend in Moonlight Mile (2002).

After small parts in Catch Me If You Can (2002, with Leonardo DiCaprio) and Daredevil (2003), Pompeo found a larger audience portraying Luke Wilson's love interest in the campus comedy Old School (2003) and as a guest star on the final season of "Friends."

But Pompeo cemented her fan base with her turn as titular heroine Dr. Meredith Grey in the hit series "Grey's Anatomy," a part that netted the actress a Golden Globe nod. Pompeo's later cinematic roles include 2005's Life of the Party.

Filmography