‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star Ellen Pompeo Wanted Scott Speedman to Return as Meredith Grey’s Love Interest: ‘I Feel Really Lucky That We Were Able to Get Him’
Grey’s Anatomy Season 18 brought in a new love interest for Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), and fans have mixed feelings about the return of Dr. Nick Marsh (Scott Speedman). Some were rooting for Pompeo’s character to wind up with Dr. Cormac Hayes (Richard Flood) — affectionately known as McWidow — but the new episodes went in a different direction. And apparently, that’s something Pompeo herself pushed for.
Meredith Grey and Nick Marsh’s relationship is dividing fans
Although some Grey’s Anatomy fans seem game for a romance between Meredith Grey and Nick Marsh, many of them aren’t on board for the development. Speedman’s return came as a surprise, and much of the fanbase already had other ideas about what Meredith’s future had in store. In fact, several of them took to Reddit to discuss whether or not the feelings between the two felt “off.”
Speedman himself is aware that viewers might need some convincing. Fortunately, he’s committed to winning their hearts.
“They’re very protective of that character, Meredith’s character,” the actor told Entertainment Tonight. “So they want the best for her and… it’s a thing. So we’ll see. I’ll win them over.”
But even if fans are questioning whether Nick’s appearance is in Meredith Grey’s best interests, the actor who plays her seems excited about her new relationship. She recently opened up about Speedman’s return, and as it turns out, she was hoping for it after his season 14 debut.
Ellen Pompeo wanted Scott Speedman on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
Regardless of fan reactions to Meredith and Nick’s blossoming romance, Pompeo herself wanted Speedman on Grey’s Anatomy. Not only did she advocate for him to join the ABC series in the first place, but she hoped that he’d return at some point to build on those flirtations with her character.
During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Pompeo admitted the timing simply hadn’t worked out until recently:
“Scott and I are friends. We’ve known each other a long time, and we always got along really great. A few years ago, when we were looking for someone to come on, we had the idea for this story, and I thought of him immediately. I was like, ‘I think he would be amazing.’ He was generous enough to come on and we had a great time. And then he was always busy and we wanted him to come back, and it was never the right timing or the story wasn’t right.”
Even if it took a while for Speedman’s role to truly fall into place, Pompeo is glad he returned for Grey’s Anatomy Season 18. Not only does she see the chemistry between Nick Marsh and Meredith Grey as a plus, but she believes they work well together behind the scenes.
“So this year, I feel really lucky that we were able to get him,” she added. “We just have great chemistry. We think the same about scenes. Sometimes network TV is very on the nose and a lot of stuff is very obvious. He and I are always trying to elevate every scene, trying to make it as good as we can.”
So, will Speedman stick around beyond the show’s current outing?
Are Meredith Grey and Nick Marsh endgame?
After everything Meredith Grey has been through, there’s one thing Grey’s Anatomy fans can agree on: she deserves a happy ending. And although there’s still no word on when the ABC medical drama might take its final bow, it’d be nice to see her find “her person” again — even if it’s not someone fans are all that thrilled about.
Whether Speedman will stick around beyond Grey’s Anatomy Season 18 remains to be seen, but it’s definitely possible Nick and Meredith will continue strengthening their relationship. That certainly seemed to be where things were headed during the show’s most recent episode. Only time will tell if they take things beyond simply hooking up.
