Patrick Dempsey

Patrick Dempsey (born January 13, 1966, Lewiston, Maine, U.S.) is an American actor and professional race-car driver best known for his role on the medical drama Grey’s Anatomy (2005– ), created by American producer Shonda Rhimes. In the show, Dempsey plays Derek Shepherd, a brilliant neurosurgeon whose good looks, charm, and kindness earn him the nickname “McDreamy.” He was a series regular for the first 11 seasons, from 2005 to 2015. The role brought Dempsey three People’s Choice Awards (2007, 2008, and 2015) and nominations for the Golden Globe Award for best performance by an actor in a television drama series in 2006 and 2007. Alongside his acting career, Dempsey competed in endurance motor racing, recording podium finishes at premier racing events such as the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Early life and education

The youngest of three children, Dempsey was born to Amanda Dempsey and William Dempsey. The family lived in Turner, Maine, before relocating to Buckfield. Dempsey attended Buckfield Junior High School and later, St. Dominic’s Regional High School. Academic difficulty defined his early schooling. Placed in special education classes and diagnosed with dyslexia at age 12, Dempsey channeled his energy into unicycling, juggling, and skiing. He placed second at the 1981 International Jugglers’ Association Championships in the juniors category. He also won a high school state title in slalom skiing (an Alpine skiing race with a winding course). In 1983 he won a Talent America competition in Portland with a juggling act before advancing to and claiming the nationals in New York City. At 17, he left Buckfield to move to New York.

Acting career

Early roles

Dempsey’s juggling prowess drew the attention of American actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein, who cast him in Torch Song Trilogy (1983), a play that won two Tony Awards. The following year Dempsey accepted the lead role in the touring production of playwright Neil Simon’s comedy Brighton Beach Memoirs.

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He made his big-screen debut in Heaven Help Us (1985), a comedy-drama set at a Roman Catholic boys’ school in 1960s Brooklyn. Next, he appeared in Fast Times (1986), a small-screen adaptation of the coming-of-age comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). By the late 1980s Dempsey had built a following as a young heartthrob through the romantic comedies Can’t Buy Me Love (1987), Some Girls (1988), and Loverboy (1989).

Slowdown and revival

Through most of the 1990s, Dempsey largely played supporting roles in television films and miniseries. He continued to pursue film roles but his dyslexia affected his ability to read and memorize scripts.

In 2000 Dempsey appeared in the satirical horror comedy Scream 3 and had recurring roles in season three of the TV sitcom Will & Grace (1998–2020) and the family drama Once and Again (1999–2002). His performance in the latter—as Aaron Brooks, a character living with mental illness—earned a 2001 Emmy nomination for outstanding guest actor in a drama series.

The romantic comedy Sweet Home Alabama (2002), opposite Reese Witherspoon, restored his standing as a leading man in film. In the movie Dempsey plays the wealthy and charming Andrew Hennings, the son of New York City’s mayor and the fiancé of Witherspoon’s character, a fashion designer forced to confront her past in Alabama.

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In 2005 Dempsey was cast as neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. The character’s clinical authority and fraught romance with intern Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo, defined much of the drama’s early appeal. The role brought Dempsey a large fan following and significantly raised his profile, with “McDreamy” becoming closely associated with both the character and the actor. The show’s cast earned the Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series in 2007. He remained a series regular through season 11 and departed in 2015 after his character met his death in the series. Dempsey returned in season 17 (2020–21), appearing as Derek in a series of visions experienced by Meredith while she was ill with COVID-19.

Dempsey appeared in Disney’s fantasy romance Enchanted (2007) as Robert Philip, a New York divorce lawyer whose orderly life is disrupted by the arrival of a fairy-tale princess (played by Amy Adams) from the fictitious land of Andalasia. In the romantic comedy Made of Honor (2008), Dempsey starred as Tom Bailey, a lifelong bachelor who belatedly recognizes his feelings for his best friend Hannah only after she gets engaged to another man.

Motor racing career

Dempsey developed an interest in automobiles beginning in childhood and entered competitive racing in the mid-2000s. In 2004 his wife Jillian Dempsey (née Fink) gave him a three-day course at the Skip Barber Racing School as a gift. He began competitive racing in celebrity and entry-level sports car events that year.

He founded Dempsey Racing with business partner Joe Foster in 2006 to compete in series such as the American Le Mans. Dempsey forged a successful partnership with Wright Motorsports and Patrick Long, who went on to become his longtime co-driver. Together they achieved class podium finishes at major endurance races, such as the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona (2011 and 2015) and the Petit Le Mans (2013 and 2014). They finished second in class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015. That same year Dempsey earned a class victory at the Six Hours of Fuji (a racing event held at the Fuji Speedway racetrack in Japan) as part of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Dempsey stepped back from full-time driving after 2015 to focus on acting and family but continued as a team owner. He returned to competition in 2024, driving in the Porsche Endurance Challenge North America alongside Long. Dempsey’s comeback was featured in the documentary Destined to Drive: Patrick Dempsey’s Return to Racing (2025).

Personal life and philanthropy

Dempsey married makeup artist Jillian Fink in 1999; they have three children—a daughter and twin sons. He was previously married to acting coach and manager Rochelle Parker.

When his mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1997, Dempsey committed to improving cancer care in his home state. In 2008 he founded the Dempsey Center in Lewiston. The organization provides holistic support—counseling, integrative therapies, and wellness programs—at no cost to anyone affected by cancer. In recognition of his philanthropic and community work in Maine, Bowdoin College and Bates College awarded Dempsey honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees in 2013 and 2017, respectively.