12 Things You Didn't Know About Meredith Grey

If there's one TV show that you just can't stay away from, no matter how hard you try to give up and stop watching forever, it would be Grey's Anatomy. The hospital drama has just wrapped its twelfth season and you tell yourself that you won't come back for more next year, but of course you will. The show is often known for its crazy storylines, absolutely action-packed season finales and tons of hook-ups. But the heart of the show? That would be the main character, Meredith Grey. She's brilliant and in her words "dark and twisty", and she's living a new life as a tragic widow since McDreamy met an untimely death (sob -- still not over it -- will never be over it). But while you know everything there is to know about Meredith because she's the focus of the show, you probably don't know much about Ellen Pompeo, the actress who plays her. Here are 12 things you didn't know about Meredith Grey (aka Ellen Pompeo).

12 She Was A Bartender

Before she took on the role that made her career and made her famous, Ellen was a bartender in -- you guessed it -- the great city of New York. This fact makes sense since most aspiring actresses work as waitresses or models while waiting for their big break. But it's pretty cool that Ellen was actually a bartender and the one in charge of making and creating all the delicious drinks that we pay outrageous money for. It makes sense too since Meredith isn't exactly known for being super sober all the time. The girl loves her alcohol (and tequila, mostly).

11 She's Super Private

You don't know a lot of things about Ellen Pompeo… because she likes it that way. And she actually makes sure that's the way that it goes. She has said that she tries her best to stay out of the spotlight because she wants her life to be private, and it has actually worked out that way. Good for her. She actually has that in common with her character because let's face it, Meredith isn't exactly an open book. We just have access to her innermost thoughts and feelings because she's the main soul of the show.

10 She's A Mom

Yup, she's also a mom just like her character. She has two daughters, Stella and Sienna. Stella is her biological child and Sienna was born via surrogate. The little girls are both super cute (and even that word doesn't even do her adorbleness justice) and you can find tons of photos of Ellen and her kids walking around, eating ice cream, and just generally enjoying some mom-and-daughter time.

9 She's A Basketball Fan

More than a fan. It sounds like the girl behind Meredith Grey is pretty much infatuated with the sport. That makes her pretty cool if you ask us. You can see tons of photos of her checking out a game, usually with her husband.

8 She's Got Strong Opinions

We wouldn't expect anything less of the woman who portrays such a super strong character on TV. Ellen has strong opinions just like Meredith, but in real life, she's usually taking to Twitter to tell the world how she really feels about fame and other people in her industry. She took Daniel Craig to task for saying he didn't want to be James Bond again. Her exact words: "This dude needs a reality check."

7 She's Realistic About The Show

Ellen was recently interviewed along with a bunch of her co-stars and she basically said that while she would love for Grey's Anatomy to live as long as a show like E.R. did (15 seasons), she gets that might not be the case. She said that they will make sure that they're producing quality content and they don't want to stay on the air past their prime. We love that she has such a realistic attitude and doesn't think that because she loves the show, it needs to be continue for another decade. But knowing the business acumen and general awesomeness of Shonda Rhimes, that doesn't seem like such a nuts idea.

6 She Loves Derek The Way We Do

Ellen has said that Derek was "it" for Meredith -- the love of her life, essentially. She doesn't expect her character to fall in love again, and we have to say, we don't think that Meredith finding love and happiness is the worst idea in the world. But we also don't think that she could ever replace Derek and we're not sure that we want her to. So while we're kind of torn on the subject of Meredith's love life, Ellen is not torn at all and believes that Derek was enough. We do respect her opinion.

5 She's Got Asthma But Stays Healthy

Ellen has both asthma and some other allergies, but despite those health issues, she is kind of a health freak. She's into meditating, getting up crazy early to work out, and is also a big fan of sleep along with naps. Now that's definitely something that we can get behind. That is clearly working for her as she looks absolutely awesome.

4 She's Got Shonda's Back

For Ellen, playing Meredith isn't just a job, it's an amazing experience and she's always got Shonda's back. She has spoken out in the press that it upsets her that fans got so pissed off about Derek's death. She wants to protect Shonda from what she has considered "attacks." We think it's super sweet that she's so respectful of her showrunner/boss.

3 She Was On 'Friends'

Did you know that Ellen was a guest star on a Friends episode? Probably not. We didn't either, but this glorious fact is definitely true. She guest starred on an episode in the final season of the super popular sitcom. The episode involved Ross and Chandler getting nostalgic and remembering a time when they both were into Ellen's character. She's wearing a hot pink shirt so it's pretty adorable/entertaining. You're trying to find the episode now, right? We'll wait.

2 Bloomberg Witnessed Her Wedding

You usually need two witnesses at your wedding, and Ellen had an unlikely person: Mayor Michael Bloomberg. She married Chris Ivery in 2007. The two have an amazing meet-cute story: they met while shopping for good. Yes, really. He popped the question when she turned 37. A proposal on your birthday? Sounds crazy romantic to us.

1 She's An OITNB Fan

Just like us. Last fall, Ellen and some fellow Grey's cast members posted a social media photo in their blue scrubs, joking that "Blue is the new black." It's been called a "spoof" of the super popular Netflix show Orange Is The New Black but it doesn't really seem like a spoof as just some positive press for the show. Either way, Ellen has tweeted that she adores the show and that anyone who isn't watching is basically crazy, because the actresses are super talented. She's pretty talented herself, and the fact that she supports other women in her industry? That just makes us love her even more -- like we needed another reason.