Ellen Pompeo is well known for her long-running role in Grey's Anatomy, that's landed her as the highest-paid actress in a primetime drama. In a recent Hollywood Reporter interview, the 48-year-old actress explains how Jay-Z's latest album 4:44 and his Tidal streaming service has inspired her directing strategies when it comes to casting sessions.
"I get so much more out of [the actors] that way," Ellen explained. "I don't know if you listened to Jay Z's latest album, but in one song he talks about how all the white guys own the record labels and they say to these artists, 'Oh, here's a $3 million advance,' while they're making billions. The artists are chasing Grammys and Lamborghinis, so they think, 'Oh yeah, I'm rich.' Meanwhile, Sony just made fucking $500 million, and they gave you $3 million and you think you're doing amazing."
She credits Jay-Z's business strategy with Tidal saying his move to give artists a piece of the profits is a great example of "empowered artists," making "them more invested."
"I love it. And I think, like the music business, we need to get to a place where actors have more ownership over what they do," she added. "That should be part of this conversation we're having now."