Interviewee: Patrick Dempsy
Interviewer: Barbara Walters

Of Irish and American descent, contemporary actor Patrick Dempsey”>Patrick Galen Dempsey started out as a gawky and charismatic teen heartthrob in the late 1980’s.

Born in Lewiston, Maine on January 13, 1966, Patrick Dempsey was diagnosed with dyslexia and struggled with the disability, but through the years he has managed to prevent it from getting worse. At age 15, he worked on his own acts and toured with the Vaudeville Circuit of New England.

In 1981, Patrick Dempsey’s natural gift for acting and dancing caught the eye of an agent at the Talent America Contest. From there on, he toured with a lot of acting groups and earned a number of roles in stage productions.

He debuted on the big screen playing a frustrated student from an all-boys Catholic High School in the 1985 comedy Heaven Help Us.

In 1987, Patrick Dempsey starred in another teen comedy playing a dorky lawn mower who bribes a cheerleader into dating him. This film shaped him into becoming a teen idol in the late 1980s. After the success of Can’t Buy Me Love, he scored more leading roles in the following years.

During the 2000s, Patrick Dempsey sculpted a more mature image of himself as an actor. He starred in supporting and leading roles in films such as Sweet Home Alabama, About a Boy, Freedom Writers, Enchanted, and Made of Honor.

Upon landing the role of Dr. Derek Shepherd in the hit drama Grey’s Anatomy, Patrick Dempsey received more recognition and appreciation as a small screen actor. In the 2007 Golden Globes, he was a nominee for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama category.

Patrick Dempsey is married to Delux Beauty founder Jillian Fink and has a 6-year old daughter and 1-year old twin sons.

More information on Patrick Demspey:

Patrick Dempsey on Grey’s Anatomy.

Patrick Dempsey does voice-overs for many commercials.