Ellen Pompeo is to scale back her on-screen role on Grey's Anatomy in order to work on a new TV project.
Editors at Deadline reported on Wednesday that the actress has signed on to appear in an eight-episode Hulu limited series about the ongoing case of Ukraine-born orphan Natalia Grace Barnett.
Natalia, who has a form of dwarfism, was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett in 2010, but the following year, the American couple hit headlines when prosecutors alleged they had abandoned her and left the country. However, Kristine and Michael claimed that Natalia was actually an adult posing as a child and had threatened to hurt them.
Ellen will portray Kristine in the show, and accordingly, will wind back her duties on Grey's Anatomy, only appearing as Dr Meredith Grey in eight episodes of the upcoming 19th season of the medical drama. She will remain onboard as a narrator and executive producer.
In addition, the 52-year-old will serve as an executive producer on the new Hulu project, which was written by Katie Robbins.
No other casting details were announced. However, executives released a synopsis of the show, which they described as being about a "couple who adopts what they believe is a little girl with dwarfism".
"As they begin to raise her alongside their three biological children, they slowly start to believe she may not be who she says she is," the summary reads. "As they question her story, they're confronted with hard questions of their own about the lengths they're willing to go to defend themselves, falling into a battle that's fought in the tabloids, the courtroom, and ultimately their marriage."
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