Patrick Dempsey biography
Date of birth : 1966-01-13
Date of death : -
Birthplace : Lewiston, Maine, U.S.
Nationality : American
Category : Arts and Entertainment
Last modified : 2011-01-13
Credited as : Actor, Grey's Anatomy, Enchanted, Made of Honor
0 votes so far
The youngest of three children, Dempsey dropped out of high school to tour as a juggler and magician. He eventually segued into theater, performing in several plays including the lead role in Brighton Beach Memoirs in San Francisco and The Subject was Roses in New York City.
During the late 1980s, Dempsey became a teen heartthrob after being cast in the romantic comedies Heaven Help Us, Can't Buy Me Love and Loverboy. He made the transition to television in the 1990s, landing several recurring roles on sitcoms and drama series, including an Emmy-nominated performance for Once & Again in 2001. In 2004, he co-starred in HBO's acclaimed Iron Jawed Angels with Hilary Swank and Anjelica Huston.
In 2005, Dempsey took on the role of Dr. Derek Shepherd—also known as “Dr. McDreamy”—on the hit medical drama Grey's Anatomy. The series debuted on ABC as a midseason replacement and has since become one of the most highly rated shows on television. Audiences have adored his portrayal of the sensitive doctor and been intrigued by the on-again, off-again relationship between his character and Dr. Meredith Grey played by Ellen Pompeo. Dempsey has earned both a Screen Actors’ Guild Award and a People’s Choice Award for his work on the series.
Not everything on the hit show has run smoothly, however. Dempsey got into a dispute with cast member Isaiah Washington in 2006 after Washington made a derogatory comment about the sexuality of another actor on the show. The two were said to have patched things up later, and Washington left the series in 2007.
In addition to his work on Grey’s Anatomy, Dempsey has taken on a few film roles. He reunited with former co-star Hilary Swank for Freedom Writers (2007). In this drama, Swank played a teacher trying to improve the lives of her at-risk youths and Dempsey appeared as her husband. In his next film project, he has taken on lighter fare—a romantic comedy with a fantastical twist. Dempsey stars in Enchanted (2007) as a lawyer who falls for a princess from long ago who has been sent to modern times by an evil queen.
Dempsey was married to actress and manager Rocky Parker from 1987 to 1994. He married make-up artist Jillian Fink in 1999; the couple has a daughter, Talula Fyfe, and twin boys, Darby Galen and Sullivan Patrick. Besides acting or spending time with his family, Dempsey also loves to race cars.
Filmography:
1985 The Stuff ; Heaven Help Us
1986 Meatballs III: Summer Job
1987 Can't Buy Me Love ; In the Mood
1988 Some Girls ; In a Shallow Grave
1989 Loverboy ; Happy Together
1990 Coupe de Ville
1991 Mobsters ; Run
1993 Bank Robber
1994 With Honors ; Ava's Magical Adventure
1995 Outbreak
1997 Hugo Pool
1998 Denial ; The Treat ; There's No Fish Food in Heaven
1999 Me and Will
2000 Scream 3
2002 Sweet Home Alabama ; The Emperor's Club
2006 Brother Bear 2 ; Shade
2007 Freedom Writers ; Enchanted
2008 Made of Honor
2010 Valentine's Day
2011 Transformers: Dark of the Moon ; Son of Tobor
Television:
1986 A Fighting Choice ; Fast Times
1989 The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
1990 The General Motors Playwrights Theater
1993 For Better and for Worse ; JFK: Reckless Youth
1995 Bloodknot
1996 The Right to Remain Silent ; A Season in Purgatory ;
1997 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ; The Escape ; The Player
1998 The Bible: Jeremiah ; Crime and Punishment
2000 Will and Grace
2000 Once and Again
2001 Blonde
2003 Lucky 7 ; Karen Sisco ; About a Boy
2004 Iron Jawed Angels ; The Practice
2005–present Grey's Anatomy
2009 Private Practice
2011 The Alex Vaillancourt Show
