Actor Patrick Dempsey has been named the “sexiest man in the world” by People magazine
Patrick Dempsey – Getty Images
American actor Patrick Dempsey at the 80th Venice International Film Festival 2023. Red Carpet Ferrari. Venice (Italy), August 31, 2023 (Photo by Marilla Sicilia/Archivio Marilla Sicilia/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
Grey’s Anatomy Actor Patrick Dempsey was named People magazine’s “sexiest man alive” of 2023 on Tuesday, taking over the title from 2022 honoree and Marvel star Chris Evans.
Dempsey, 57, said he was “completely shocked” when he heard the news and thought it was a joke. “I’ve always been the bridesmaid.”
“It’s nice to get the recognition, and certainly my ego takes a little bit of a bump, but it gives me the platform to use it for something positive,” Dempsey told People for the cover story.
Over the years, Dempsey became increasingly popular: he played the role of heartthrob neurosurgeon Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd in almost 250 episodes of ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” and portrayed the role of a modern-day prince in the 2007 musical film “Enchanted.”
Dempsey, married to make-up artist and founder of the beauty line Jillian, is particularly interested in how his children Talula (21) and 16-year-old twins Sullivan and Darby will react to his new status.
“They’re just going to make fun of me and pick on me and find out every reason why I shouldn’t do this,” he said. “Which is good, they keep me young.”
In December, Dempsey will star in the biopic “Ferrari,” directed by Michael Mann, in which he plays Italian Formula 1 driver Piero Taruffi alongside Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz.
When Dempsey found out the film was being made, he took a risk and called Mann to ask him for a role.
“I had been following the film for years, so I called Michael,” he recalls. “It taught me that if you really want something, you have to do it yourself.”
Another of Dempsey’s passion projects is the Dempsey Center, which he founded in honor of his late mother to support cancer patients and their families.