Patrick Dempsey

Patrick Dempsey

Birth name: Patrick Galen Dempsey
Born: January 13, 1966
Age: 58
Birthplace: Lewiston, Maine, U.S.
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Biography

Patrick Galen Dempsey (born January 13, 1966) is an American actor and race car driver, best known for his role as neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd (a.k.a McDreamy) on Grey's Anatomy. He saw early success as an actor, starring in a number of films in his early 20s, including Can't Buy Me Love (1987) and Loverboy (1989). In the 1990s, he mostly appeared in smaller roles in film, such as Outbreak (1995), and television, before landing a lead role in Sweet Home Alabama (2002), a surprise box office hit. He has since then starred in a number of other films, including Enchanted (2007), Made of Honor (2008), Valentine's Day (2010), Flypaper (2011), Freedom Writers (2007) and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011).

Dempsey, who maintains a sports car and vintage car collection, also enjoys auto racing in his spare time. He has competed in prestigious pro-am events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 at Daytona sports car race, and Ensenada SCORE Baja 1000 off-road race. Prior to the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans, Dempsey declared that he would "walk away" from acting if he could and dedicate himself full-time to motorsports.

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Early life

Dempsey was born in Lewiston, Maine, and grew up in the nearby towns of Turner and Buckfield. He has two sisters. His mother, Amanda (née Casson), was a school secretary, and his father, William, was an insurance salesman.

He attended Buckfield High School and St. Dominic Regional High School.

In his youth, Patrick Dempsey participated in juggling competitions. In 1981 he achieved the second place at the International Jugglers' Association Championship in the Juniors category, just behind Anthony Gatto, who is considered to be the best technical juggler of all time.

Dempsey was diagnosed with dyslexia at age twelve. He told Barbara Walters on her 2008 Oscar special that he thinks dyslexia made him what he is today. "It's given me a perspective of—you have to keep working," Dempsey told Walters. "I have never given up."

Acting career

Early career

Dempsey was discovered by an invitation to audition for a role in the stage production of Torch Song Trilogy. His audition was successful, and he spent the following four months touring with the company in Philadelphia. He followed this with another tour, Brighton Beach Memoirs, in the lead role, which was directed by Gene Saks. Dempsey has also made notable appearances in the stage productions of On Golden Pond, with the Maine Acting Company, and as Timmy (the Martin Sheen role) in a 1990 Off-Broadway revival of The Subject Was Roses co-starring with John Mahoney and Dana Ivey at the Roundabout Theatre in New York.

Dempsey's first major feature film role was at age 21 with Beverly D'Angelo in the movie In The Mood, the true World War II story about Ellsworth Wisecarver whose relationships with older married women created a national uproar. He then co-starred in the third instalment of the comedy classic Meatballs III: Summer Job, alongside Sally Kellerman in 1987. This was followed by the teen comedy Can't Buy Me Love in 1987 with actress Amanda Peterson and Some Girls with Jennifer Connelly in 1988. In 1989, Dempsey had the lead role in the films Loverboy with actress Kirstie Alley and Happy Together with actress Helen Slater.

1990s and 2000s

Dempsey made a number of featured appearances in television in the 1990s; he was cast several times in pilots that were not picked up for a full season, including lead roles in the TV versions of the films The Player and About A Boy. However he received good reviews as he portrayed real-life mob boss, Meyer Lansky in 1991, when Mobsters was put on the screen. His first major television role was a three-episode stint as Will Truman's closeted sportscaster boyfriend on Will & Grace. He went on to play the role of Aaron Brooks on Once & Again. Dempsey received an Emmy nomination in 2001 as Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for the role of Aaron. In 1993, he played a young John F. Kennedy in the two-part TV mini-series JFK: Reckless Youth. In 2000, he played Detective Kincaid in Scream 3.

Dempsey had a high-profile role as the fiancé of Reese Witherspoon's character in Sweet Home Alabama (2002). In 2004, he co-starred in the highly acclaimed HBO production Iron Jawed Angels, opposite Hilary Swank and Anjelica Huston. He also appeared as special guest star in The Practice for its three-episode finale season (8x13-8x15).

In 2007, Dempsey starred in the Disney film Enchanted, and the Paramount Pictures film Freedom Writers where he reunited with his Iron Jawed Angels co-star Hilary Swank. He also voiced the character Kenai in Brother Bear 2. Dempsey's most recent roles include the 2008 film Made of Honor as Tom and the 2010s romantic comedy Valentine's Day; the latter film follows five interconnecting stories about Los Angelinos anticipating (or in some cases dreading) the holiday of love.

Universal Pictures acquired the rights to the prize-winning novel The Art of Racing in the Rain in July 2009, for Dempsey to star in. The project has not been able to find a director. He starred as Dylan Gould in Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011).

In 2013, Dempsey starred in the romantic comedy Wonderful Tonight opposite Amanda Seyfried.

Grey's Anatomy

Main article: Grey's Anatomy

Dempsey has received significant public attention for his iconic role as Dr. Derek Shepherd (McDreamy) in the drama Grey's Anatomy. Prior to landing the role of Derek Shepherd, Dempsey auditioned for the role of Dr. Chase on another medical show, House. Initially a midseason replacement, Grey's Anatomy was well received and has become a highly rated program. Dempsey also appeared in two episodes of the Grey's spinoff Private Practice, playing the same character as in Grey's Anatomy. In January 2014, Dempsey signed a two-year contract to remain on Grey's Anatomy (then in its tenth season) that would ensure his presence for potential 11th and 12th seasons. Dr. Shepherd later died in Season 11 due to a horrible car crash leaving Meredith Grey in sadness.

Dempsey was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series-Drama at the 2006 Golden Globes for the role. His success on the show has led to his becoming a spokesman for Mazda and State Farm Insurance. BuddyTV ranked him #1 on its list of "TV's Sexiest Men of 2011".

Following his departure from Grey's Anatomy, Dempsey was working on two small-screen projects: a drama The Limit for SundanceTV and a travelogue spy thriller called Fodors. He also said: "I would love to do something else. I’m going to take the rest of the year off to develop. I would like to be a producer. I would commit to a show that is 10 to 12 episodes. But 24 again, I don’t know if I would do that. It's a very hard life. It's financially rewarding but there comes a point where how much is enough, really? I’m focusing now on developing and racing and being a father to my children."

Promotional work

He has been the face of L'Oreal and Versace and was featured in ads for Serengeti sunglasses. In November 2008 he launched an Avon fragrance named Unscripted, and due to its success, a second fragrance named Patrick Dempsey 2 was launched in October 2009. On September 29, 2012, Mexican cable company Cablemás, Megacable and Mexico city's Cablevisión launched an advertising campaign featuring Patrick Dempsey as the love interest of a domestic worker who comes across his profile on an online dating site. Starting in 2013, Patrick Dempsey is the face of Silhouette, promoting eyewear fashion from Austria.

Auto racing

In 2014, Dempsey told Reuters in the Hockenheimring support paddock at the German Grand Prix that motor racing was not just a hobby, and had become as much a part of who he is as acting. He said, "It's all-consuming in many ways. I couldn't imagine not racing right now. It really keeps me motivated. It's all I think about on a daily basis."

Dempsey, who maintains an extensive sports and vintage car collection, has enjoyed auto racing in his spare time for several years, and declared before the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2013 that he would like to compete full-time, telling Eurosport:

I would like to make that a complete priority and just focus on this full-time. If I could just walk away from acting, I think I could do that very easily, and just focus on the driving, I would love that more than anything else.

He has competed in prestigious pro-am events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 at Daytona sports car race, and Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 off-road race. He was a co-owner of the Vision Racing IndyCar Series team and current owner of Dempsey Racing, which is presently racing two Porsche 911 GT America's in the Tudor United Sports Car Series . He participated in this series as often as his schedule allowed, although insurance restrictions kept him from driving competitively while also filming a motion picture. In 2009, he raced a Team Seattle Advanced Engineering Ferrari F430 GT in the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans's GT2 class, and finished ninth in class.

Dempsey announced he would race the 2011 Rolex 24 at Daytona along with other races throughout the season in a Mazda RX-8.

Dempsey finished in third place in the GT Class of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. In 2012, Dempsey competed in the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge behind the wheel of an Aston Martin Racing-Multimatic Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage GT4, which, after five successful racing seasons in Europe, was to make its debut on American tracks. He formed the Dempsey Racing team to compete in the American Le Mans Series. The team fielded a full-time Oreca FLM09 in the Prototype Challenge class as well as a Lola B12/80 coupe in the Prototype 2 class from Laguna Seca onward.

After debuting at the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans, Dempsey returned to France four years later and competed in a Porsche 997 GT3 RSR at the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. Dempsey and his co-drivers finished 29th overall and fourth in-class.

Telling Porsche Newsroom: "Not much changes in my TV work, but everything changes constantly in motor racing - every lap, every bend and every moment."

In 2015, Dempsey is focusing on participating in the FIA World Endurance Championship with his own Dempsey Racing-Proton team in the GTE-Am class in a Porsche 997 GT3 RSR, teamed with Patrick Long and Marco Seefried.

Racing records

Career summary

Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position
2004 Panoz Racing Series (GT class) TBA 2 0 0 0 0 9 9th
2006 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race (Pro class) TBA 1 0 TBA TBA 1 N/A 2nd
2007 Rolex Sports Car Series (GT class) Hyper Sport 1 0 0 0 0 21 82nd
2008 Rolex Sports Car Series (GT class) Hyper Sport 9 0 0 0 0 143 30th
2009 Rolex Sports Car Series (GT class) Dempsey Racing 7 0 0 0 0 143 20th
24 Hours of Le Mans (GT2 class) Advanced Engineering
Team Seattle
1 0 0 0 0 N/A 9th
2010 Rolex Sports Car Series (GT class) Dempsey Racing 4 0 0 0 0 89 29th
Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (ST class) Freedom Autosport 1 0 0 0 0 9 90th
2011 Rolex Sports Car Series (GT class) Dempsey Racing 11 0 0 0 1 226 11th
2012 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (GS class) Multimatic Motorsports 2 0 0 0 0 0 NC
Rolex Sports Car Series (GT class) Dempsey Racing 9 0 0 0 0 138 24th
American Le Mans Series (LMP2 class) Dempsey Racing 5 0 0 0 2 53 3rd
Maserati Trofeo World Series TBA 2 0 0 0 0 0 NC
2013 American Le Mans Series (GTC class) Dempsey Racing/Del Piero 10 0 0 0 3 87 7th
24 Hours of Le Mans (GTE Am class) Dempsey Del Piero-Proton 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 4th
2014 United SportsCar Championship (GTD class) Dempsey Racing 8 0 0 0 1 134 18th
24 Hours of Le Mans (GTE Am class) Dempsey Racing-Proton 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 5th
Porsche Supercup Porsche AG 1 0 0 0 0 0‡ NC‡
2015 FIA World Endurance Championship (GTE Am class) Dempsey Racing-Proton 7 1 1 0 2 116 6th
24 Hours of Le Mans (GTE Am class) Dempsey Racing-Proton 1 0 0 0 1 N/A 2nd
Porsche Supercup Porsche AG 1 0 0 0 0 0‡ NC‡
United SportsCar Championship (GTD class) Wright Motorsports 1 0 0 0 1 31 33rd

‡ Not eligible for points.

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2009 Advanced Engineering
Team Seattle
Don Kitch, Jr.
Joe Foster
Ferrari F430 GT2 GT2 301 30th 9th
2013 Dempsey Del Piero-Proton Joe Foster
Patrick Long
Porsche 997 GT3 RSR GTE
Am
305 29th 4th
2014 Dempsey Racing-Proton Joe Foster
Patrick Long
Porsche 911 RSR GTE
Am
329 24th 5th
2015 Dempsey-Proton Racing Patrick Long
Marco Seefried
Porsche 911 RSR GTE
Am
330 22nd 2nd

Complete Rolex Sports Car Series results

(key) (Results are overall/class)

Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Rank Points
2007 Hyper Sport GT Mazda RX-8 GT Mazda 2.0L 3-Rotor DAY MEX HOM VIR LGA LIM WGL MDO DAY IOW BAR MON MIL
82nd 21
2008 Hyper Sport GT Mazda RX-8 GT Mazda 2.0L 3-Rotor DAY
HOM
MEX VIR LGA LIM WGL
MDO
DAY
BAR
MON
NJ
MIL
30th 143
2009 Dempsey Racing GT Mazda RX-8 GT Mazda 2.0L 3-Rotor DAY
VIR NJ
LGA
WGL
MDO
DAY
BAR WGL MON MIL HOM
20th 143
2010 Dempsey Racing GT Mazda RX-8 GT Mazda 2.0L 3-Rotor DAY
HOM
BAR
VIR
LIM WGL MDO DAY NJ WGL MON MIL 29th 89
2011 Dempsey Racing GT Mazda RX-8 GT Mazda 2.0L 3-Rotor DAY
HOM
BAR
VIR
LIM
WGL
ELK LGA
NJ
WGL
MON
MDO
11th 226
2012 Dempsey Racing GT Mazda RX-8 GT Mazda 2.0L 3-Rotor DAY
BAR
HOM
NJ BEL
MDO
ELK
WGL
IMS
WGL MON LGA
LIM 24th 138

† Did not complete sufficient laps in order to score points.

Complete Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge results

(key) (Results are overall/class)

Year Entrant Class Chassis Tyres 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rank Points
2010 Freedom Autosport ST Mazdaspeed3 C DAY
HOM BAR VIR LIM WGL MDO NJ TRO MIL 90th 9
2012 Multimatic Motorsports GS Aston Martin Vantage C DAY
BAR
HOM NJ MDO ELK WGL IMS LGA LIM NC‡ 0‡

‡ As Dempsey was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.

Complete Maserati Trofeo World Series results

(key)

Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 DC Points
2012 JAR
1
JAR
2
ALG
1
ALG
2
ALG
3
IMO
1
IMO
2
IMO
3
LEC
1
LEC
2
SON
1
SON
2
SON
3
SHA
1
SHA
2
NC‡ 0‡

‡ As Dempsey was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.

Complete American Le Mans Series results

(key) (Results are overall/class)

Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine Tyres 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rank Points
2012 Dempsey Racing LMP2 Lola B12/87 Judd-BMW HK 3.6 L V8 M SEB LBH LGA
LIM
MOS MDO
ELK
BAL VIR ATL
3rd 53
2013 Dempsey Racing/Del Piero GTC Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 Y SEB
LBH
LGA
LIM
MOS
ELK
BAL
AUS
VIR
ATL
7th 87

† Did not complete sufficient laps in order to score points.

Complete United SportsCar Championship results

(key) (Results are overall/class)

Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Rank Points
2014 Dempsey Racing GTD Porsche 911 GT America Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 DAY
SEB
LGA
BEL WGL
MOS
IMS
ELK
VIR
AUS
ATL
24th 153
2015 Wright Motorsports GTD Porsche 911 GT America Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 DAY
SEB LGA BEL WGL LIM ELK VIR AUS ATL 33rd 31

† Did not complete sufficient laps in order to score points.
* Season still in progress.

Complete Porsche Supercup results

(key)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 DC Points
2014 Porsche AG ESP MON AUT GBR GER
HUN BEL ITA USA USA NC‡ 0‡
2015 Porsche AG ESP
MON
AUT
GBR
HUN
BEL
BEL
ITA
ITA
USA
USA
NC‡ 0‡

‡ As Dempsey was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

Year Entrant Class Car Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rank Points
2015 Dempsey Racing-Proton LMGTE Am Porsche 911 RSR Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 SIL
SPA
LMS
NÜR
COA
FUJ
SHA
BHR 6th 116

Tully's Coffee

In January 2013, Dempsey announced that his company (Global Baristas) had secured the winning bid to purchase Seattle-based Tully's Coffee, which had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October. Dempsey's bid of $9.15M was enough to secure Tully's over the bids of six others including Starbucks. Dempsey's company will control 47 Tully's locations in the Seattle area, but not the online business which had been purchased by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters in 2009.

Following a legal dispute with investor group Global Baristas owner Michael Avenatti, Dempsey left the group, in effect officially leaving his managerial positions with Tully's. Dempsey filed a lawsuit on behalf of Global Baristas, claiming Avenatti borrowed $2 million against Tully's assets without informing Dempsey, rather than fully financing the coffee chain as was promised, calling the 15 percent interest rate on the loan "exorbitant" and sued for Avenatti to fund Tully's operations and meet its working capital needs, as well as for any damages owed the company. Soon after, Avenatti's office issued a second statement saying the partnership was dissolved and that Dempsey wished the lawyer and the company "all the best". Avenatti has stated the dispute was a "misunderstanding" and will continue operating with other investors and new management.

Personal life

Dempsey was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 12. As a result, it is necessary for him to memorize all his lines in order to perform, even for auditions where he was unlikely to get the part.

Entertainment Weekly put Dempsey's hair on its end-of-the-decade "best-of" list, saying, "What made Grey's Anatomy a mega-medi-hit? It could have something to do with creator Shonda Rhimes' scalpel-sharp writing…or McDreamy's impossibly luxurious man hair. Just saying." In 2005, People magazine ranked him second in its annual list of "Sexiest Men Alive" and again in 2006.

Dempsey has been married twice. In 1987, he married his manager and mother of his best friend, actress and acting coach, Rochelle "Rocky" Parker, when he was 21 and she 48. She appeared with Dempsey in the film In the Mood. The couple divorced in 1994. She died in 2014.

On July 31, 1999, Dempsey married hairstylist and makeup artist Jillian Fink. The couple have three children, daughter Talula Fyfe (born February 20, 2002), and twin sons Sullivan Patrick and Darby Galen (born February 1, 2007). In January 2015, Fink filed for divorce, but reconciled later in the year.

Cancer-research philanthropy

In 1997, Dempsey's mother, Amanda, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which subsequently relapsed five times. On March 24, 2014, she died in Lewiston, Maine, aged 79. In response to his mother's bouts with cancer, Dempsey helped start the Patrick Dempsey Center at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. In October 2009, when Dempsey introduced the first Dempsey Challenge, registration was closed after reaching the goal of 3,500 cyclists, runners and walkers. The event raised more than $1 million for the cancer center. His mother had been in the crowd as Dempsey finished his 50-mile ride. The Challenge has since become an annual October event presented by Amgen in the Lewiston-Auburn area.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1985 The Stuff Underground Stuff buyer #2 Uncredited
Heaven Help Us Corbet
1986 A Fighting Choice Kellin Taylor
Meatballs III: Summer Job Rudy Gerner
1987 Can't Buy Me Love Ronald Miller Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy
In the Mood Ellsworth 'Sonny' Wisecarver
1988 Some Girls Michael
1989 Loverboy Randy Bodek
Happy Together Christopher Wooden
1990 Coupe de Ville Robert 'Bobby' Libner
1991 Mobsters Meyer Lansky
Run Charlie Farrow
1993 Bank Robber Billy
1993 Face the Music Charlie Hunter
1994 With Honors Everett Calloway
1995 Outbreak Jimbo Scott
1997 Hugo Pool Floyd Gaylen
1998 Denial Sam
1998 Jeremiah Jeremiah
1998 The Escape Clayton
2000 Scream 3 Det. Mark Kincaid
2002 Sweet Home Alabama Andrew Hennings
The Emperor's Club Older Louis Masoudi
2004 Iron Jawed Angels Ben Weissman
2006 Brother Bear 2 Kenai Voice
Direct-to-video
2007 Freedom Writers Scott Casey
Enchanted Robert Philip Nominated-MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (with Amy Adams)
Nominated—National Movie Award for Best Performance — Male
2008 Made of Honor Tom Bailey
2010 Valentine's Day Harrison Copeland
2011 Transformers: Dark of the Moon Dylan Gould Nominated—Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor
Flypaper Tripp Also producer
2016 Bridget Jones's Baby Jack Qwant Filming

Television

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1986 Fast Times Mike Damone 7 episodes
Disneyland Kellin Taylor Episode: A Fighting Choice
1989 The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! The Plant Voice
Episode: Super Plant/The Pied Koopa
1993 JFK: Reckless Youth John F. Kennedy Miniseries
1996 A Season in Purgatory Harrison Burns Miniseries
1997 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Pierre Arronax Movie
1998 Jeremiah (de) Jeremiah Movie
1998 Crime and Punishment Raskolnikov Movie
2000; 2001 Will & Grace Matthew 3 episodes
2000; 2002 Once and Again Aaron Brooks 4 episodes
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
2001 Blonde Cass Movie
2003 Lucky 7 Peter Connor Movie
Karen Sisco Carl Wilkens Episode: Blown Away
2004 Iron Jawed Angels Ben Weissman Movie
The Practice Dr. Paul Stewart 3 episodes
2005-2015 Grey's Anatomy Dr. Derek Shepherd 236 episodes
Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast in a Drama Series
People's Choice Award for Favorite Male TV Star
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast in a Drama Series
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series
Nominated—People's Choice Award for Favorite Male TV Star
Won—People's Choice Award for Favorite Dramatic TV Actor
2009; 2012 Private Practice Dr. Derek Shepherd 2 episodes
Charities

Patrick Dempsey supports the following charitable causes: Dyslexia, Cancer.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]


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