Patrick Dempsey Reveals Which Roles He’s Recognized for the Most — and It’s Not AlwaysGrey’s Anatomy

Mar. 15, 2025

Patrick Dempsey’s role asMcDreamy— a.k.a. Dr. Derek Shepherd — onGrey’s Anatomymight be his most iconic, but it’s not always the one he’s recognized for the most.

In a Dec. 4 interview withParade, Dempsey, 58, explained that when people recognize him, “it depends on your generation.”

Patrick Dempsey in ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ in 1987.Touchstone/Kobal/Shutterstock

Touchstone/Kobal/Shutterstock

Dempsey toldParadehe was especially proud of The Dempsey Center, a nonprofit hospital in rural Maine that aims to improvecancer care. Thanks toGrey’s Anatomy, people already associate him with doctors and medicine. He called it “the amazing power of television around the world” to be able to use the show to talk about his work at the center.

Patrick Dempsey in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’.Frank Ockenfels/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Frank Ockenfels/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

In addition to his work with the center, Dempsey appears in the upcoming seriesDexter: Original Sin, a prequel toDexter. He told PEOPLE in October that the culture on set of the Showtime and Paramount+ show was “one of great celebration, joy and fun.”

“I think coming out of the[2023 actors and writers] strike, we’re all truly grateful that we have employment, because the business hasn’t really come back to where it was before," he explained. “I’m just really grateful to have a job, and I’m really enjoying it. We’ve been in the business long enough now, over 30 years, where we really appreciate it and look at it differently.”

Last year, Dempsey wasnamed PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive. Catching up with PEOPLE this November, beforethe 2024 winnerwas announced, Dempsey joked the title made him “more anxiety-ridden,” adding, “I needed to stay in shape, to train more."

Patrick Dempsey in 2023.Greg Doherty/Getty

Greg Doherty/Getty

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“But it’s amazing the reach it has,” he explained. “I think it’s a tremendous platform to do something positive with … It’s allowed me to talk aboutThe Dempsey Center.”

“Fame in itself is quite empty, but if you can do something, and you can be of service, that is truly what life is about and gives you meaning and joy,” he explained.

Dexter: Original Sinpremieres Dec. 13 on Paramount+ and Dec. 15 on Showtime.

source: people.com