Patrick Dempsey, Yara Shahidi, Cindy Crawford, and more guests on ‘Tell Me with Ellen Pompeo’

Award-winning actress and producer Ellen Pompeo is excited for her first podcasting endeavor, “Tell Me with Ellen Pompeo.” She starred on Grey’s Anatomy for 18 seasons in the role of Dr. Meredith Grey and wants to use her platform to help people, share ideas, listen, and learn.

In partnership with Audacy’s Cadence13, Ellen’s series will discuss a variety of topics by interviewing guests, celebrities, and friends. Ellen strives to make space for inspiring conversations, featuring individuals from all sorts of backgrounds and disciplines, while having fun and maintaining a sense of community.

Yara Shahidi from Black-ish and Grown-ish

Actress Yara Shahidi spoke with Ellen on the first episode. She is known for her work on the show, Black-ish and spin-off series Grown-ish, which she produces. On this episode, they spoke about staying on the pulse of pop culture and listening to Ye’s Donda. One of Yara’s favorite things about the entertainment industry is watching others’ projects, since she can appreciate how much work and devotion was poured in. Ellen talks about her favorite videos and music, including Madonna and Prince’s Purple Rain.

Yara is starting her senior year at Harvard, which ultimately became her dream choice after visiting the campus with her cousin and hip-hop artist, Nas. Harvard created the Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellowship on his behalf to fund scholars with artistic dreams. During Yara’s first visit, she met professors running The Hip-Hop Archive and met people studying art. This changed how she viewed selecting a college later on, making the choice based on what professors were teaching and if she connected with their work.

Yara explains her studies, how she decided her major, and the personal transformations college enabled her to achieve. She is thinking about the shape her future academic plans might take.

Ellen and Yara talked about emphasizing gratitude and how it helps their lives when listening and being present. Tune in for the fun episode to hear about more awesome topics like navigating chaos, social media, and pressures faced.

Patrick Dempsey

Patrick Dempsey co-starred with Ellen on Grey’s Anatomy as neurosurgeon Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd, and was thrilled to catch up on the second episode of “Tell Me with Ellen Pompeo.”

Ellen and Patrick reminisced about memories from Grey’s Anatomy, like when Denzel Washington directed an episode. Before auditioning for the pilot, they lived on the same street but didn’t know each other until they started filming. They both agree they were meant to be in each others’ lives. Patrick and Ellen are grateful for their experiences on Grey’s Anatomy and the life lessons they learned along the way. They still love when fans approach them to share the positive impact the show had on their lives.

Patrick is excited about his musical film Disenchanted, the sequel to Enchanted, starring Amy Adams and Maya Rudolph. He’s a triple threat since he sang and danced in the film, and Patrick had a blast! Disenchanted filmed in Ireland, and he appreciates the culture, the people, and the weather. Patrick also discussed how COVID impacted his filming experience abroad. While in Europe, Patrick also filmed the series Devils in Rome, following an evil banker’s story.

In addition to acting, Patrick is dedicated to his cancer support foundation, The Dempsey Center, in Maine. We learn about his personal connection to the cause. He’s gearing up for the annual Dempsey Challenge, a series of cycling rides to fundraise for the Center.

Patrick also shared his love of race car driving. They spoke about surfing, why Ellen avoids scuba diving, what films they’re watching, and parenting. Especially if you’re a fan of Grey’s Anatomy, you’ll enjoy this episode!

Ellen’s upcoming guests this season

Over the course of the season, Ellen will chat with the following guests: Dr. Sanjay Gupta; Gabrielle Bluestone, journalist, executive producer, FYRE, author, HYPE; attorney and media personality Rachel Lindsay; Maria Konnikova New York Times bestselling author of The Confidence Game; Cindy Crawford; Grey’s Anatomy star Giacomo Gianniotti; ER physician Michele Harper, author of The Beauty in Breaking; Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman; and organizational psychologist and bestselling author Adam Grant. 

New episodes of “Tell Me with Ellen Pompeo” are released on Wednesdays.