Ellis Grey is the name of a fictional character on the ABC television series Grey's Anatomy. The character is portrayed by actress Kate Burton. Template:Spoiler
| Dr. Ellis Grey | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | "A Hard Day's Night" |
| Last appearance | "Some Kind of Miracle" |
| Created by | Shonda Rhimes |
| Portrayed by | Kate Burton |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Female |
| Title | M.D |
| Family | Dr. Meredith Grey (daughter) |
| Spouse | Dr. Richard Webber (affair) Thatcher Grey (ex-husband) |
| Children | Dr. Meredith Grey |
Biography
Mother of intern Dr. Meredith Grey and former surgeon. During their residency, she had an affair with current SGH Chief of Surgery, Dr. Richard Webber. She was married about 30 years ago to Thatcher Grey, who left the family when Meredith was young, partly as a result of Ellis's affair. After her divorce and break-up with Richard, Ellis moved with Meredith to pursue a position at Boston General. Her distinguished career included tenures at the Mayo Clinic and for the U.N., and she is noted for pioneering an operation called the laparoscopic Grey Method. She was suffering from Alzheimer's and resided at the Roseridge Home for Extended Care. Her case was advanced, and she most often thought she was still completing her residency. As a result, she seldom recognized her daughter, but delighted in visits from Richard Webber. When Richard decided to salvage his marriage to Adele, Meredith was forced to break the news to Ellis that he would not be visiting anymore, which caused her to relive their initial break-up. She briefly became lucid ("Wishin' and Hopin'") and had a fight with Meredith, which was the last thing she remembered. While Meredith's life lingered in the balance after drowning, Ellis flatlined and was unable to be revived. And though her relationship with Meredith hadn't always been strong (She told her daughter that she was just 'ordinary' after finding out about Derek in her one day of lucidity), everything was set right and Meredith's feelings were fine with her mother's death when, as Meredith was hanging between life and death, she saw her mother's spirit who told her she was 'anything but ordinary'.