Over the years, the medical series Grey’s Anatomy has witnessed quite a handful of significant deaths that completely altered the rest of the storyline for its viewers. One such unexpected and heart-wrenching death on the show was of the Neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd, who was the husband of Ellen Pompeo’s Dr. Meredith Grey and was portrayed by Patrick Dempsey.
First seen on television on March 27th, 2005, Grey’s Anatomy went on to carve a place for itself among the best medical shows ever seen on television. Written by Shonda Rhimes, the story revolves around Meredith Grey, an intern who started her career at Seattle Grace Hospital, which later came to be known as Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. The show featured the interactions she had with other hospital staff, along with the various types of cases that showed up at the hospital.
Dr. Grey soon comes across the very handsome “McDreamy” Dr. Derek Shepherd, who she falls in love with and later gets married to. The duo had a great relationship, and even after facing so many things together, they stayed by each other’s side. Derek even left opportunities he had in other places just so he could be with Meredith, making MerDer fans happier. This happiness was sadly short-lived, as Derek died in a car accident soon after, completely removing his character from the show.
As shocking as it was, Patrick’s leave was a mutual decision from both the writers and the actor. The show had lost one of its best characters, although most of Grey’s Anatomy fans were used to it by now. George, Izzy Stevens, Burke, and many more loved characters were written off throughout 19 seasons.
Patrick Dempsey: A Man Of Many Interests
Born in Maine, Patrick had gone to Buckfield High School and later took an interest in Juggling. He won many competitions and even got 2nd place in International competitions. His acting career began when he was invited to audition for Torch Song Trilogy.
After starring in a few films such as In The Mood, Meatballs III, and Some Girls, he then starred in Grey’s Anatomy. This was the role that brought him worldwide recognition and even multiple awards.
Despite having a successful acting career, Dempsey was always interested in racing cars and collecting them. He has a wide collection of Vintage cars that he takes pride in. In an interview, Patrick revealed that Racing was just as important as acting and that whenever he’s not working, Racing’s the only thing on his mind.
Also, Read “Grey’s Anatomy: What Episode Did Derek Shepherd Die?“
Why Did Patrick Dempsey Leave Grey’s Anatomy?
Many reasons are said to be involved in his departure from the medical drama. Dempsey had revealed in an interview that he was always looking for something else to look forward to, but the show’s schedule had always kept him occupied. Filming for so many hours each week left him with less or no time at all with his three kids or wife. However, he continued to be a part of the series due to how financially gaining it was. It was only after almost 11 years and 10 seasons that his wish to try something new grew stronger.
This decision was not totally from his side, as a producer from the show admits that things between Shonda and Patrick were not always very good. Patrick would often complain about the filming methods which would trouble the writer as well as the other co-stars. Regardless, it mostly comes down to Patrick’s own will, which was to move on and focus on other things that created the spark within his heart, such as racing and being a part of shorter shows.
At the time he quit Grey’s Anatomy, his relationship with his wife was quite rocky and he was on the verge of divorce. The couple then sorted things out and are now happily married. Patrick’s main interest had always been cars and racing, and he loved it equally as much as acting. Dempsey informed that he hadn’t left acting completely and would be okay with working in 10-12 episode shows.
Where Is “McDreamy” Now?
After Patrick Dempsey left the show in Season 11, He had a surprisingly short return in Season 17. This gave a good closure for his fans and the love story he had with Meredith. Shonda Rhimes claimed that the accident was the best way to remove Dempsey from the cast, as it would not lessen the MerDer love.
Patrick has since been a part of a few films and became a main character in the show Ways & Means. He also starred in the musical Disenchanted (2022), which was released as a successor to Enchanted.
Also Read: “Patrick Dempsey Net Worth: How Much Does The American Actor Earn?“
