Patrick Galen Dempsey is an American actor and race car driver, best known for his role as neurosurgeon Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd in Grey’s Anatomy. Dempsey was born in Lewiston, Maine, and grew up in the nearby towns of Turner and Buckfield.
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.
On July 31, 1999, Dempsey married Jillian Fink. The couple has three children. In January 2015, Fink filed for divorce, but the couple reconciled later in the year. They called off their divorce on November 12, 2016. Dempsey is a supporter of Scottish football club Rangers F.C. because of his Scottish connection through his step-grandfather.
What does Patrick Dempsey do now?
In the years since his Grey’s Anatomy exit, Patrick hasn’t shied away from embracing Derek Shepherd’s impact on pop culture. The actor put back on his medical jacket in 2017 when he reunited with his TV ex-wife, Kate Walsh (Addison Montgomery) to film a commercial for Cigna.
Then, Patrick shocked many fans when he returned to Grey’s Anatomy in Season 17. During the season, Meredith sees Derek while she’s in a coma from coronavirus (COVID-19). Although some Grey’s fans were thrilled to see MerDer again, Patrick confirmed the cameo was Derek’s final sendoff.
“I thought it was a beautiful way to close it,” he told Variety in April 2021. “The intention was to really give people some hope because they are such an iconic couple.”
In January 2021, it was announced that Dempsey would reprise his role in the Enchanted sequel, Disenchanted, slated to begin production in the spring of that year. The film is scheduled to be released on Disney+ in late 2022.