Patrick Dempsey

In October 2009, Dempsey was honored by the community of Lewiston, Maine as the first-ever recipient of the Minerva Award, which is given to people who use the arts to improve the lives of the residents in the area.

In 2009, Dempsey joined other celebrities like Tour de France winner and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong and actor Evan Handler in supporting Nike's Livestrong campaign against cancer.

Since the success of his show, Grey's Anatomy, Dempsey has endorsed and appeared in advertisements for the following products/companies/organizations: State Farm, Mazda, Versace, New York & Company, Het Huis Uw Opticien, American Stroke Association, NFL's Monday Night Football, 2010 Subaru Outback.

Patrick lives next door to Grey's Anatomy co-star Ellen Pompeo.

In 2009, Avon launched the Woody Green fragrance, Patrick Dempsey UNSCRIPTED. It also comes in body wash and shave conditioner. Patrick's wife, Jillian, is Avon's Global Creative Color Director since 2006.

In 2006, Dempsey signed a contract with ABC raising his salary to $225,000 per Grey's Anatomy episode. He also earned $750,000 for Enchanted (2007), $500,000 for Freedom Writers (2007), and $4,000,000 for Made of Honor (2008).

Patrick is the founder of the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing at Central Maine Medical Center. His formerly cancer-stricken mother Amanda was treated at that center back in 1997, and his sister Mary is a nurse there.

When Patrick appeared on the cover of the March 12, 2007 issue of People Magazine with his newborn twin sons, it was later hailed as one of the magazine's top-selling issues of the whole year.

In January of 2008, Patrick Dempsey auctioned off his 2005 Ford Mustang FR500C (the same car he drove in the 2007 Grand-Am KONI Challenge series), for charity, at the Barrett Jackson car auctions in Scottsdale, AZ. The winner paid $200,000 and also won his helmet, firesuit, shoes, third season DVD of Grey's Anatomy, and driving lessons from Patrick himself.

At the age of 12, Patrick was diagnosed with dyslexia and could barely read or write, so he used his charm to hide this secret. Patrick says, "I think it's made me who I am today." As an adult, Patrick is still known to have very messy handwriting.

Dempsey was so short when he was in school that the kids teased him about it. Trying to put an end to the teasing, he joined a vaudeville troupe and took up unicycling, juggling, and puppetry.

Patrick confessed that at times the medical jargon gets too much for him and the he writes the words on the bodies of the dummies.

His stepfather, Howard Lowell, an organic farmer, is Irish while his mother, Amanda Dempsey Lowell, a school secretary at his high school, is American. She has two older sisters, one of whom (Mary) works in a hospital.

In November 2006, Patrick and Grey's Anatomy co-star Isaiah Washington (Burke) got in a scuffle on the set. The pair had a heated exchange regarding a fellow actor being late to the set, with Isaiah making a homophobic comment. Isaiah then struck at Patrick before being pulled away by security.

Once, Patrick was at the hospital because his daughter split her chin open and the doctors were having trouble with the stitches. He didn't want his daughter to have a scar, so he asked why they didn't use glue. The doctors did and were very impressed with him.

His favorite movies are Great Expectations, Downhill Racer, Diva, and La Femme Nikita. His favorite band is the Foo Fighters.

Film and TV Movie Credits: • A Fighting Chance (1986) as Kellin Taylor • In a Shallow Grave (1988) as Daventry • Happy Together (1989) as Christopher Wooden • Coupe de Ville (1990) as Robert 'Bobby' Libner • Run (1991) as Charlie Farrow • For Better and For Worse (1993) as Robert Faldo • Face the Music (1993) as Charlie Hunter • Bank Robber (1993) as Billy • Bloodknot (1995) as Tom • The Right to Remain Silent (1996) as Tom Harris • Odd Jobs (1997) • The Escape (1997) as Clayton • The Player (1997) as Griffin Mill • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1997) as Pierre Arronax • The Treat (1998) as Mike • Crime and Punishment (1998) as Rodya Raskolnikov • Jeremiah (1998) as Jeremiah • Me and Will (1999) as Fast Eddie • Chestnut Hill (2001) as Michael Eastman • Blonde (2001) as Cass Chaplin • Corsairs (2002) • Rebellion (2002) as Tyler Rae • About a Boy (2003) as Will • Shade (2006) as Paul Parker

As a child, one of Patrick's ambitions was to be a supermodel. He eventually modeled in the mid- to late-90's and can be seen in the J. Crew catalogs.

Patrick attended high school at Buckfield High School (Buckfield, Maine) and at St. Dominic's Regional High School (Lewiston, Maine), where he dropped out during senior year.

An accomplished ski racer, Patrick claims his dream role is to star in a movie about World Cup Ski Racing.

Dempsey auditioned for the role of Dr. Robert Chase on House, M.D. Australian actor Jesse Spencer eventually got the part.

Patrick, long-time race enthusiast and co-owner of Vision Racing, part of the Indy Racing Series, was the Grand Marshall of an IRS race at Texas Motor Speedway in 2006. He also participated in the Rolex Grand-Am Series 2008 races.

When he was a teen, Patrick dreamed of being a juggler and dreamed of attending Clown College. He mastered the skill during a power outage in high school and won 3rd place in the National Jugglers Convention. He also juggled for Barbara Walters during her 2006 Oscar Special.

During an episode of Grey's Anatomy, Patrick had to revive a cardiac arrest patient. He had been shown several times how to do it correctly, but when the cameras started to roll, Patrick pressed the chest of his male patient a little too hard and broke the extra's rib. He offered to pay the man's medical bills and a speaking part when he recovers.

Patrick said that women most often comment on his hair, which his wife, Jillian Fink (then a salon owner), was used to be the only one whom he allowed to cut.

If he could trade places with any man for a day, Patrick would pick famous NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr..

List Appearances & Rankings: • 2005 - Cosmopolitan, Fun Fearless Male of the Year • 2005 - listed, TV Guide, TV's Sexiest Men • 2006 - listed, People magazine's Sexiest Men Alive • 2007 - People magazine's Star of the Year • 2007 - listed, People magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People • 2007 - No.19, Entertainment Tonight's Hot List • 2007 - No.2, People magazine's Sexiest Men Alive • 2007 - TV Guide's Sexiest Man • 2008 - TV Guide's Sexiest Man

Awards and Nominations: - Wins • 1988 - Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy, Young Artists Awards, for Can't Buy Me Love • 2007 - Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, SAG Awards, for Grey's Anatomy, shared with castmates • 2007 - Favorite Male TV Star, People's Choice Awards • 2008 - Favorite Male TV Star, People's Choice Awards - Nominations • 2001 - Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, Emmy Awards, for "Strangers and Brothers" episode of Once and Again • 2006 - Choice TV Actor: Drama, Teen Choice Awards, for Grey's Anatomy • 2006 - Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series, SAG Awards, for Grey's Anatomy • 2006 - Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, SAG Awards, for Grey's Anatomy, shared with castmates • 2006 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama, Golden Globes, for Grey's Anatomy • 2007 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama, Golden Globes, for Grey's Anatomy • 2008 - Choice TV Actor: Drama, Teen Choice Awards, for Grey's Anatomy • 2008 - Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, SAG Awards, for Grey's Anatomy, shared with castmates • 2008 - Best Performance - Male, National Movie Awards, for Enchanted • 2008 - Best Kiss, MTV Movie Awards, for Enchanted, shared with Amy Adams • 2009 - Favorite Male TV Star, People's Choice Awards

Patrick appeared on the cover of the November 7-13, 2005 issue of TV Guide with his Grey's Anatomy co-star Ellen Pompeo, and again on the cover of the December 19-25 issue.

With an average build, Patrick stands 5' 10½" (1.79 m) tall. His shoe size is 8 1/2. He has blue eyes and wavy dark brown hair, which is a trademark of his.

Patrick loves to remodel homes. In his spare time he also loves to collect antiques and ski.

Since July 31, 1999, Patrick has been married to Jill Fink. They have three children together -- twin boys Sullivan Patrick and Darby Galen (b. February 1, 2007), and a daughter named Tallulah Fyfe (b. February 20, 2002), whom they named after a little girl who once assisted him on a shopping expedition.

In 1987, Dempsey married Rocky Parker when he was only 21 and she was 48. They had no children together and divorced in 1994. Patrick claims that his best friend is actor Corey Parker, Rocky's son, who is just a year old than him.