Patrick Dempsey Biography

Patrick Galen Dempsey was born on 13 January 1966, in Lewiston, Maine, USA, to Amanda and William Dempsey. His father was an insurance salesman and his mother was a school clerk.

He studied at ‘St. Dominic Regional High School.’ At the age of 12, he was diagnosed with dyslexia. It was around this time that Dempsey is believed to have been the most insecure.

From a very young age, he was adept at juggling. He even won a national juggling competition. He was also an accomplished skier. When he was in high school, he won the Maine state slalom championship.

He left high school to pursue acting and landed the role of ‘David’ in the San Francisco production of ‘Torch Song Trilogy.’ He performed in several plays, including ‘Brighton Beach Memoirs’ and ‘The Subject was Roses.’

In 1985, he starred in ‘Heaven Help Us,’ a romantic film, followed by ‘Meatballs III: Summer Job’ the next year. He was also seen on television in ‘A Fighting Choice’ and ‘Fast Times.’

He landed his first major role in the 1987 movie ‘In the Mood.’ The same year, he also starred in the romantic film ‘Can’t Buy Me Love,’ which cemented his lover-boy image.

In 1989, he was cast as a pizza delivery driver who supplies ‘more than just pizzas’ in the romantic comedy ‘Loverboy.’ By now, he had become a heartthrob with many female fans. He was also cast as ‘Christopher Wooden’ in ‘Happy Together’ along with Helen Slater.

1991 proved to be an extremely busy year for the actor as he had a number of projects under his belt. He appeared in ‘Mobsters’ and ‘Run,’ two films that proved his versatility in acting. Two years later, he played a young John F. Kennedy in a two-part TV mini-series titled ‘JFK: Reckless Youth.’

From 1993 to 1998, he appeared in a string of successful and not-so-successful films, such as ‘Bank Robber,’ ‘With Honors,’ ‘Outbreak,’ ‘Hugo Pool,’ and ‘Denial.’

In 2000, he appeared as ‘Detective Kincaid’ in ‘Scream 3,’ the third installment of the ‘Scream’ series. The same year, he landed his first major role in television when he was cast to play ‘Mathew’ in ‘Will and Grace.’ He then went on to play ‘Aaron Brooks’ in ‘Once and Again.’

He followed this with a critically-acclaimed performance in the hit film ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ in 2002. Two years later, he was seen in the television movie ‘Iron Jawed Angels.’ He was also seen in the TV series ‘The Practice.’

2005 turned out to be a good year for Dempsey as he landed his breakthrough role of ‘Dr. Derek Shepherd’ in the hit American medical drama series ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ He became a star overnight and his fan-base expanded.

From 2006 to 2008, he starred in a number of critically-acclaimed hits, including ‘Shade,’ ‘Freedom Writers,’ ‘Enchanted,’ and ‘Made of Honor.’ In 2010, he appeared in the multi-starrer film ‘Valentine’s Day.’

In 2009, he starred in the spin-off of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ titled ‘Private Practice’ as ‘Dr. Derek Shepherd.’

He was cast in a supporting role in ‘Transformer: Dark of the Moon’ in 2011. The same year, he produced and appeared in ‘Flypaper’ alongside Ashley Judd. In 2013, he appeared as himself in the Dutch movie ‘Ushi Must Marry.’

Following his departure from ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ in 2015, he appeared in the blockbuster hit romantic comedy ‘Bridget Jones’s Baby’ in 2016.

In 2017, he starred in the short movie ‘Red Nose Day Actually’ and followed it up with a mini-series titled ‘The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair’ where he played the titular role.

The talented actor started portraying the role of ‘Dominic Morgan’ in the TV drama series ‘Devils.’ The series is based on Guido Maria Brera’s novel of the same name.

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ is a popular American medical drama series which featured Dempsey in the lead role of ‘Dr. Derek Shepherd,’ the irresistible neurosurgeon. Patrick Dempsey was part of the series for 11 seasons and received a number of prestigious awards and nominations for his performance. He was also praised for his screen presence and acting skills.

In 1987, he won the ‘Young Artist Award’ for ‘Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy’ for ‘Can’t Buy Me Love.’

He won the ‘Screen Actors Guild Award’ for ‘Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series’ along with his co-stars for ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ in 2006 and 2007.

In 2007 and 2008, he was honored with ‘People’s Choice Award’ for ‘Favorite Male TV Star’ for ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’

He was ranked No. 1 on Buddy TV’s list of ‘TV’s Sexiest Men of 2011.’

He married Rochelle ‘Rocky’ Parker, an actress, acting coach, and mother of his best friend, in 1987. She was 26 years his senior. The couple divorced in 1994.

In 1999, he married Jillian Fink, with whom he has three children: Tallulah Fyfe and twins Sullivan Patrick and Darby Galen. The couple separated for a year in 2015 and also filed for divorce. However, they got back together the following year.

He initiated the ‘Patrick Dempsey Center,’ a cancer center, at ‘Central Maine Medical Center.’ The inspiration for starting this organization came after his mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She suffered nearly five relapses in her life.

Patrick is a skilled juggler and has showcased his talent on various talk shows and interviews.