Ellen Pompeo Opens Up About Playing Kristine Barnett in Good American Family

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Ellen Pompeo, after almost 20 years and over 400 episodes playing Meredith Grey on Grey’s Anatomy, left her role as a series regular on ABC’s medical drama in 2023. Although she didn’t officially bid farewell, Meredith Grey continues to appear as the show’s narrator and sporadically on screen. This shift was necessary for Pompeo, who expressed a desire to explore new opportunities.

That’s when Good American Family came along.

Pompeo shared with The Hollywood Reporter that she sought a part where she could fully immerse herself, as such opportunities are rare. However, one might wonder if portraying Kristine Barnett, the adoptive mother of Grace who faced accusations of abuse, pushed the boundaries a bit too much?

She remembers thinking, “That idea seems utterly preposterous! Why on earth would I take on such a role?” as she contemplated embodying this character within Grace’s narrative. Reading the show bible and pilot script, she found it to be an exceptionally absurd yet delightful piece of writing, but still questioned her desire to portray this character. It appeared to be a risky move, with numerous opportunities for misunderstandings and mishaps. How could they avoid creating the inferior version of this show? They suggested that she speak with creator Katie Robbins and meet Imogen Faith Reid, who plays Natalia.

The television show titled “Good American Family” is based on the true events of Grace’s life, including her numerous adoptions. It is important to note that Grace has a unique and intense form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, which has been previously explored over three seasons in the ID docuseries “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace“, which concluded in January. At the start of each episode of “Good American Family“, a legal disclaimer appears, informing viewers that this limited series presents allegations from court proceedings and media reports, and it dramatizes various contrasting perspectives.

The storyline commences by presenting a sequence of events claimed by Kristine and Michael Barnett, portrayed by Mark Duplass, who are the Indiana couple that adopted Grace in 2010. She had originally come from Ukraine in 2008 and was previously adopted by another American family, who subsequently gave up their rights to her, resulting in her moving into the Barnett household. This limited series debuted on Wednesday, with its first two episodes, followed by the remaining six being released weekly. As the narrative unfolds, additional contrasting viewpoints are introduced to question what audiences believe about both Grace and the Barnetts.

Since Hulu initially proposed the concept in 2020, Robbins has been delving into Grace’s narrative. The series, titled “Good American Family,” chronicles Grace’s time with the Barnetts and her subsequent adoption by the Mans family (portrayed by Christina Hendricks as Cynthia and Jerod Haynes as Antwon). However, Grace’s tale doesn’t end with the Mans family, as depicted in the latest season of the ID docuseries. Although Robbins and Pompeo believe that the Barnetts’ story is fully told by the time viewers reach the “Good American Family” finale, they leave open the possibility for further exploration given recent events.

In their discussion with THR, both Robbins (co-showrunner) and Pompeo (star and executive producer) share their motivations behind tackling Grace’s narrative and the pursuit of justice they aim for in its telling.

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Katie, it seems like you’ve spent quite a bit of time studying Natalia Grace. Can you tell me when you began working with the Good American Family?

AS A FAN, I’M EXCITED TO SHARE that back in 2020, Hulu approached me with an intriguing proposition – to bring the story to life through a narrative format. It seems like a different era now! The tale was indeed familiar, but it wasn’t as widely discussed as it is today. I found myself plunging into research, digging up articles about it. What struck me most was how perspectives on the story could vary significantly based on who was being interviewed in a particular piece or broadcast.

When reading a story, you might initially think, “This is the complete account,” but then come across another version that feels utterly distinct. This usually depends on the source, but it seemed especially pronounced with this particular tale. In crafting the narrative, I aimed to replicate that feeling for the audience. Consequently, we begin by presenting Kristine and Michael Barnett’s perspective of events, which gradually evolves over time. This encourages us to doubt our initial understanding of the situation, allowing audiences to confront their own biases in an unexpected manner.

Then, how and when did Ellen come into the picture?

ROBBINS (PARAPHRASED) It’s hard for me to recall the specific time, but when her name was brought up, I was utterly smitten because I was such a huge fan. [To Pompeo] My closest companion is a doctor thanks to you. I knew that having someone as adored as Ellen would enable us to guide the audience on an exciting journey of expecting one thing about this character and then having that expectation change. We had a Zoom conversation while I was in Japan, and it was one of my most enjoyable talks. Learning about what she found appealing, I genuinely thought, “This is a creative collaborator with whom we can tell this story in a captivating and truthful emotional manner.

Ellen, for those who are avid fans of Grey’s Anatomy (including myself), it was this show that drew Meredith Grey in. What inspired you to delve into telling this particular story? It’s important to note that Kristine Barnett is certainly not like Meredith Grey.

POMPEO It’s a stark change. I wanted a part that would let me vanish completely – those opportunities are scarce. This role was offered to me, and I thought, “This seems absurd. Why would I want to play this character? Why would I want to take on such a risk?” Upon reading the script and the show’s blueprint, it struck me as potentially career-ending. There were numerous ways it could be misconstrued or mishandled. I asked, “How can we avoid the poor version of this show?” They suggested I speak with Katie and meet Imogen. After doing so, I realized that Katie is someone who’s incredibly thoughtful, intelligent, and compassionate. Her insight into the perspective and her sensitivity would enable us to tell this story authentically – with care and understanding.

To share this tale, you too needed to locate Natalia first. Can you describe your quest to find Imogen Faith Reid, a 27-year-old British actress, and what specific qualities about her made you both believe that this production would succeed?

POMPEO Imogen had already been part of the project when I joined, as they suggested we should meet first. Our lengthy Zoom call lasted for around two to three hours, during which we talked endlessly. We instantly connected. What stood out to me was that many young people have grown up watching me and ‘Grey’s’, and they tend to be a bit anxious when meeting someone like me. However, Imogen was incredibly charismatic, not nervous at all, and easily engaged in a conversation with me. Our dialogue about the characters and our roles was both honest and engaging. She shared her feelings about the story and what it meant for her to tell it from her perspective – since we all have our own interpretations of the story. Imogen’s charm is what drew me in, as she perfectly embodied the character, making the project work seamlessly.

Before I joined the project, I was told I should meet Imogen first. We had a long chat on Zoom and hit it off immediately. Many young people get nervous meeting someone famous like me, but not Imogen – she was confident and easy to talk to. Our conversation about our characters and the story was interesting. She told me her thoughts on the story and why she wanted to tell it. I think her charm is what made the project successful because she played the character perfectly.

The series hinged on locating the right actor for a crucial role, as Ellen herself emphasized, it’s indispensable. The script couldn’t be brought to life without someone who could convincingly portray a character growing from childhood to adulthood, and that perspective needed to be shown in various ways. We launched an extensive global search for the ideal candidate and Imogen submitted her audition tape. Although she had some theater experience and worked as a stand-in and body double in films and TV shows, this was her major breakthrough role. Upon meeting her, it became clear that we were in capable hands; everything seemed to fall into place. She delivered every day on set, willing to explore intense emotional territories, and was deeply committed to doing justice to the story. This dedication added an authentic emotional depth to the show that was essential.

At the start of each episode, there’s a disclaimer stating that the events portrayed are based on certain allegations, which have been documented in court records. Have you spoken with, or attempted to speak with, any of the characters implicated in these accusations?

ROBBINS In our investigation, we didn’t communicate with anyone else. Instead, we heavily relied on a vast amount of research. Our research team, headed by Reeva Mandelbaum, was stationed in Indiana during the trials and had access to numerous resources such as court documents, depositions, Facebook messages, doctors’ records, and adoption records. To put it simply, our research was extensive. In fact, you could say that a later scene in the series where Kristine and Michael meet with their lawyers depicts piles upon piles of printed pages – this is not an exaggeration; this is the reality of the amount of information we gathered. As a former journalist, I value thorough research, so we took our task very seriously to ensure that our narrative, though inspired by allegations, still felt as emotionally genuine as possible.

POMPEO I think they call those receipts. (Laughs.)

As a huge fan, I’m curious about your immersion in the research process for the project. In your role as executive producer, there might have been a temptation to maintain a certain distance. But when it came to portraying Kristine, did you find it helpful or necessary to step in closer to bring your unique perspective?

POMPEO To be completely honest with you, I found a different approach more suitable for me. I delayed watching the documentary for quite some time as I didn’t want to form any preconceived notions. As Katie rightly pointed out, there was an immense amount of research involved. While working with my acting coach, I realized that I was judging too much. To ensure a more authentic performance, I had to distance myself from those judgments and simply portray the character as written on the script, immersing myself fully in her truth as depicted in the script.

Three seasons of the documentary series have been released since you began working on this project, with the latest season covering events beyond the conclusion of the Good American Family tale. Given that there’s additional content about Grace, will there be any further installments of Good American Family?

POMPEO In my opinion, Kristine Barnett’s tale has reached its end. Evidently, there’s been a third part to the documentary and Natalia continues to express her honest account. If there were another season, I’d say it would be award-winning, if you catch my drift. (Chuckles. ) Are the folks at Hulu tuned in?

Christina Hendricks as Cynthia Mans certainly has more to do…

POMPEO Isn’t she simply wonderful? Aren’t they all incredible? Including Sarayu [Blue] and Dulé [Hill]. The ensemble is what makes us believe or doubt everything we see, leaving us in awe and uncertain about the unfolding events. It takes these subtle, outstanding performances and writing to truly accomplish this delicate act, as it’s like walking on a tightrope. So I just want to acknowledge everyone’s hard work, because it was a collaborative effort of great magnitude.

Have you given thought if Natalia were to watch, what she might think of the show?

ROBBINS It’s impossible for us to predict how she will feel or won’t feel about the future. What I aim for, though, is a narrative that shows empathy and does her story justice. I believe it might offer new insights into her tale, emphasizing themes such as bias, the tricky nature of truth, and who gets their stories heard and believed. By recounting her story, we might not only be doing it justice but also demonstrating how society could potentially benefit from heeding this narrative’s lessons.

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Starting this week, the first pair of episodes from the show “Good American Family” are available for streaming on Hulu. New episodes will be added every Wednesday, culminating in the final episode on April 30th.

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2025-03-19 22:56