Ellen Pompeo keeps it casual in blue denim jeans and black tee as she steps out for lunch with friend in Beverly Hills
It appears Ellen Pompeo is enjoying some more free personal time now that she’s no long apart of the main cast for Grey’s Anatomy.
The actress, who had already scaled back her role in season 19 but will continue with her signature voiceovers in the upcoming season, stepped out with a friend for lunch in Beverly Hills on Thursday.
Located in the heart of Beverly Hills, the two ladies enjoyed the Italian tastes of EBaldi restaurant, which specializes in the Tuscan cuisine.
The longtime leading lady and her gal pal were spotted chatting and laughing as they were leaving the establishment, heading back to their parked car.
Both of them kept it casual in the fashion department, with Pompeo stepping out in a black t-shirt and blue denim pants that she cuffed several inches at the bottom to reveal her red shoes.
Casual time: Ellen Pompeo, 53, stepped out for a lunch date with a friend at the Italian restaurant EBaldi in Beverly Hills on Thursday
Pompeo, 53, appeared to be in a great mood, smiling and laughing out loud while waiting for her car to be returned to the valet.
In keeping with her relaxed fashion sense on this day, the actress had her long blonde tresses pulled back off her face and into a ponytail with a part in the middle.
To help with the glaring sun on a day that saw the temperature rise to the upper 80s Fahrenheit, the Everett, Massachusetts native also wore wide-frame sunglasses.
Her friend ended up going more sporty in purple leggings, a white cropped t-shirt, blue sneakers, and a white baseball cap over her long blonde locks.
With her newfound personal time, Pompeo was able to attend some of the events during New York Fashion Week, which included the Michael Kors Collection Spring/Summer 2024 Runway Show with her husband Chris Ivery.
The couple, who will be celebrating their 16th wedding anniversary on November 9, were spotted in the front row with other celebrities like Vanessa Hudgens, Rita Ora, Jesse Williams, and Brazilian singer-songwriter Anitta.
Pompeo also has her hands full as mother to her three children she shares with Ivery: Stella, 14, Sienna, nine, and Eli, six.
‘I have three kids and so I take care of them, and it’s really important for me to be around for them and be more present for them,’ she said of her newfound time to spend with family during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show in December 2022, as reported by People.
Family time: After scaling back her role on Grey’s Anatomy Pompeo has been able to enjoy more personal time, which included stepping out to the Michael Kors runway show with husband and music producer Chris Ivery during New York Fashion Week in late September
Iconic: Pompeo scaled back her role on grey Anatomy in season 19 to eight episodes, but she did confirm she will be back for the upcoming season, which has been pushed to 2024 dur to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes
Pompeo, who has been among the world’s highest-paid actors since 2017 due to her role on Grey’s, also reunited over the summer with her former co-star on the medical drama, Kathrine Heigl, for an episode of Variety’s Actors on Actors series.
Heigl, 44, departed the show in 2010 following rumors of on-set feuds and a reputation for being ‘difficult’ to work with.
During the interview for Variety Pompeo confirmed that she will be shooting a limited series for Hulu this fall, which will be the first time she’s played someone not named Meredith Grey in 18 years.
Showing her sense of humor, the actress called the role ‘an interesting experiment.’
In the untitled show, a couple adopts what they believe is an eight-year-old girl with a rare form of dwarfism. But as they begin to raise her alongside their three biological children, they slowly start to believe she may not be who she says she is, according to another report from Variety.
So far there’s no official word on whether the writer and actors strikes have prompted the production on the untitled series to be pushed back.
New role: Pompeo, who has been among the world’s highest-paid actors since 2017 due to her role on Grey’s, is set to star in a limited Hulu series
She also put Grey’s fans at ease by confirming she will be back as Meredith on Grey’s Anatomy when it returns for season 20, which won’t be until sometime in 2024 due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Among her duties moving forward will include doing the show’s trademark voiceovers for each episode, as well as serve as executive producer.
After starring full time in the medical series drama since the show’s premiere in 2005, season 19 of Grey’s Anatomy marked the first time the lead actress had a scaled back her role on the series.
Grey’s Anatomy is the longest-running scripted primetime show currently airing on ABC, and the longest scripted primetime series carried by ABC.