Patrick Dempsey
Patrick Galen Dempsey (born January 13, 1966)[1] is an American actor and racing driver. He is best known for his role as neurosurgeon Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd in the ABC medical drama series Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2015. He is also known for his leading man romantic films roles, including in Enchanted (2007). Dempsey has received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards, and was named as People's Sexiest Man Alive in 2023.[2]
Patrick Dempsey
- Actor
- racecar driver
1985–present
3
2014
Dempsey Racing
FIA Bronze
27
2
0
0
18th in 2014
18th
- Advanced Engineering
- Team Seattle
- Dempsey Racing
22nd (2nd in class)(2015)
Dempsey started his career acting in films such as Can't Buy Me Love (1987) and Loverboy (1989). He has since starred in several romantic comedy films such as Sweet Home Alabama (2002), Made of Honor (2008), Valentine's Day (2010), and Bridget Jones's Baby (2016). Dempsey has also taken dramatic roles in Outbreak (1995), Scream 3 (2000), Freedom Writers (2007), Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), Thanksgiving (2023), and Ferrari (2023). He starred in and produced Flypaper (2011), and The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019).
Dempsey, who maintains a sports car and vintage car collection, also enjoys auto racing in his spare time. He has competed in pro-am events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 at Daytona sports car race, and Ensenada SCORE Baja 1000 off-road race. Prior to the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans, Dempsey declared that he would "walk away" from acting if he could and dedicate himself full-time to motorsports.[3]
Early life[edit]
Dempsey was born in Lewiston, Maine,[1] and grew up in the nearby towns of Turner and Buckfield. He has two older sisters.[4] His mother, Amanda (née Casson),[5][6] was a school secretary, and his father, William, was an insurance salesman.[1][7][8]
He attended Leavitt Area High School, Buckfield High School and St. Dominic Regional High School, and after moving to Houston attended Willowridge High School.[4]
In his youth, Dempsey participated in juggling competitions. In 1981, he achieved second place at the International Jugglers' Association Championship in the Juniors category, just behind Anthony Gatto, who is considered to be the best technical juggler of all time.[9]
Dempsey was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 12. He told Barbara Walters on her 2008 Oscar special that he thinks dyslexia made him what he is today. "It's given me a perspective of — you have to keep working," Dempsey told Walters. "I have never given up."[10]
Acting career[edit]
1984–1989: Early roles and breakthrough[edit]
An invitation to audition for a role in the stage production of Torch Song Trilogy led to Patrick Dempsey's discovery as an actor. His audition was successful and he spent the following four months touring with the company in Philadelphia. He followed this with another tour, Brighton Beach Memoirs, in the lead role, which was directed by Gene Saks. Dempsey has also made notable appearances in the stage productions of On Golden Pond, with the Maine Acting Company, and as Timmy (the Martin Sheen role) in a 1990 off-Broadway revival of The Subject Was Roses co-starring with John Mahoney and Dana Ivey at the Roundabout Theatre in New York.
Dempsey's first major feature film role was at age 21 with Beverly D'Angelo in the film In The Mood, the actual World War II story about Ellsworth Wisecarver whose relationships with older married women created a national uproar. He then co-starred in the third installment of the comedy classic Meatballs III: Summer Job, alongside Sally Kellerman in 1987. This was followed by the teen comedy Can't Buy Me Love in 1987 with actress Amanda Peterson and Some Girls with Jennifer Connelly in 1988. In 1989, Dempsey had the lead role in the films Loverboy with actress Kirstie Alley and Happy Together with actress Helen Slater.[11]
Other ventures[edit]
Promotional work[edit]
He has been the face of L'Oreal and Versace and was featured in ads for Serengeti sunglasses. In November 2008, he launched an Avon fragrance named Unscripted. In June 2009, Women's Wear Daily reported the launch of a second Avon fragrance named Patrick Dempsey 2.[56] The fragrance was recognized as the "Men's Private Label/Direct Sell" for the 2010 FiFi Awards.[57][58] On September 29, 2012, Mexican cable company Cablemás, Megacable and Mexico city's Cablevisión launched an advertising campaign featuring Dempsey as the love interest of a domestic worker who comes across his profile on an online dating site.[59]
Starting in 2013, Patrick Dempsey became the face of Silhouette, promoting eyewear fashion from Austria.[60] From January 2017 Dempsey appears for Vodafone Italy and he appears in some Italian spots about it.[61] In 2018, Bleusalt, a Malibu-based fashion brand launched a clothing line designed by the actor.[62][63]
Business interests[edit]
In January 2013, Dempsey announced that his company (Global Baristas) had secured the winning bid to purchase Seattle-based Tully's Coffee, which had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October. Dempsey's bid of $9.15M was enough to secure Tully's over the bids of six others, including Starbucks. Dempsey's company will control 47 Tully's locations in the Seattle area, but not the online business, which had been purchased by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters in 2009.[64]
Following a legal dispute with investor group Global Baristas, Dempsey left the group, in effect officially leaving his managerial positions with Tully's. Dempsey filed a lawsuit on behalf of Global Baristas, claiming Michael Avenatti borrowed $2 million against Tully's assets without informing Dempsey, rather than fully financing the coffee chain as was promised, calling the 15 percent interest rate on the loan "exorbitant" and sued for Avenatti to fund Tully's operations and meet its working capital needs, as well as for any damages owed the company. Soon after, Dempsey's lawyer's office issued a statement saying the partnership was dissolved and that Dempsey wished the lawyer and the company "all the best". Avenatti has stated the dispute was a "misunderstanding" and will continue operating with other investors and new management.[65][66]
Philanthropy[edit]
In 1997, Dempsey's mother, Amanda, was diagnosed with cancer which subsequently relapsed five times. On March 24, 2014, she died in Lewiston, Maine, aged 79.[67] In response to his mother's bouts with cancer, Dempsey helped start the Patrick Dempsey Center at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. In October 2009, when Dempsey introduced the first Dempsey Challenge, registration was closed after reaching the goal of 3,500 cyclists, runners and walkers. The event raised more than $1 million for the cancer center. His mother was in the crowd as Dempsey finished his 50-mile (80 km) ride.[68] The Challenge has since become an annual October event presented by Amgen in the Lewiston–Auburn area.[69] On May 28, 2017, Dempsey received an honorary doctorate from Bates College in his hometown, Lewiston, Maine, for his philanthropy in the town and funding of "the Dempsey Center — just blocks from the Bates campus."[70]
Dempsey was awarded an honorary doctorate by Bowdoin College in 2013 for his philanthropic work.[71] His Grey's Anatomy character Derek Shepherd had been written as a Bowdoin graduate after an alumnus led a petition signed by over 450 students to "adopt" the character as an alumnus.[72]
Personal life[edit]
Dempsey was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 12. As a result, it is necessary for him to memorize all his lines to perform, even for auditions where he is unlikely to get the part.[73][74]
Entertainment Weekly put Dempsey's hair on its end-of-the-decade "best-of" list, saying, "What made Grey's Anatomy a mega-medi-hit? It could have something to do with creator Shonda Rhimes's scalpel-sharp writing… or McDreamy's impossibly luxurious man hair. Just saying."[75] In 2005, People magazine ranked him second in its annual list of "Sexiest Men Alive"[76] and again in 2006.[77] Patrick Dempsey was named People magazine's "sexiest man alive" for its Nov. 20, 2023, issue.
Dempsey has been married twice. On August 24, 1987,[1] he married his manager,[78] actress and acting coach, Rochelle "Rocky" Parker, when he was 21 and she was 48.[79] She appeared with Dempsey in the film In the Mood. While it has been reported that Dempsey married his best friend's mother, he has said that he became best friends with Parker's son only after he became romantically involved with Parker. The couple divorced on April 26, 1994. She died in 2014.[80]
On July 31, 1999, Dempsey married Jillian Fink.[78] The couple have three children.[78][81][4][80] In January 2015, Fink filed for divorce,[82] but the couple reconciled later in the year.[83] They called off their divorce on November 12, 2016.[84]
Dempsey formerly owned a home in Harpswell, Maine near his hometown. His mother moved into a farm next to his home.[85] Dempsey is a supporter of Scottish football club Rangers F.C. because of his Scottish connection through his step-grandfather.[86]