Ellen Pompeo has blasted streamers for "s*****" and "unfair" treatment towards actors.
The 'Grey's Anatomy' actress - who still makes occasional appearances on the long-running medical drama, as well as providing voiceovers and serving as executive producer - has explained how the way residual payments are structured with streaming platforms is a big reasons for her remaining on the show.
She told Variety: “Them having the ability to use my voice, my likeness, my image, 47 billion minutes a year and not paying me a penny wouldn’t really feel great to me.
“People don’t stream the last 10 years more than they stream the first 10 years. Most people stream the first 10 years the most, and there’s no residual structures for any of those writers, actors, directors.
"That, to me, is really s***** and really unfair. So, me being on the show a little bit and still getting to at least make money from them profiting off of us is more digestible for me. That’s why I stay on, to be honest.”
When it comes to 'Grey's Anatomy' itself, Ellen has admitted she is vocal when it comes to the creative direction of the show, and her character Meredith Grey.
She took issue with a recent storyline where Meredith found out that a doctor, played by Lena Waithe, lied about her wife's Alzheimer's diagnosis to ensure she was still eligible for a life-saving liver transplant.
Meredith ended up telling the board, whereas Ellen felt her character should continue to "game the system" as she has over much of the last 20 years.
She added: "I think at the end of the day, Meg [Marinis], who’s the showrunner, [director Debbie Allen] and Shonda all recognise that all of my outspokenness about the creative on the show is all out of a place of caring deeply about the show.
“I see my job as trying to keep Shonda Rhimes’ legacy as good and solid as we can and the minute you stop caring or phoning it in or getting lazy, we’re not really doing what we’ve been paid to do.”
Ellen also knows that the show will continue to roll on if and when she fully steps away.
She said: “It’s not like if I leave the show completely, they’re going to stop the show. The show is still massively successful.”
