Patrick Dempsey Calls ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Fame Like Living ‘In a Gilded Cage’
Patrick Dempsey is a multi-talented star, with roles in a wide variety of both film and television projects. However, for millions of fans around the world, he is best known for his role as “McDreamy” in the iconic medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. Dempsey acted in the series for more than 10 years, earning acclaim and becoming a huge star in the process. But being famous hasn’t always been easy. In an interview, the actor opened up about how his life changed after Grey’s.
Patrick Dempsey is best known for his work in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
By the time Dempsey was cast as Dr. Derek Shepherd in Grey’s Anatomy, he was an established character actor. He had acted in a wide variety of TV shows and movies throughout the ’80s and ’90s. But he hadn’t yet landed the role that would change the course of his career. That would change after he started playing “McDreamy” in 2005. Fans and critics loved the way he played the slightly cocky yet endearing doctor, with many praising how effortless he seemed to be.
Dempsey would act on the show for the next 10 years, until his character was killed in 2015. Fans were devastated. But diehard viewers never forgot Dempsey. And in 2020, he made a brief return to his character, portraying the beloved doctor reuniting with his wife in a dream-like sequence.
What did Patrick Dempsey say about fame being like a ‘gilded cage’?
These days, Dempsey is firmly focused on other projects. But he’s still known for his role in Grey’s Anatomy. In a 2022 interview with Fatherly, Dempsey opened up about the complicated nature of fame.
“You realize going into a situation like that, that that’s going to be with you for the rest of your career and … will allow you to transcend to bring in a new audience,” Dempsey revealed. “It’s opened so many doors around the world. It gave me the opportunity to do things I wouldn’t have been able to do. You have to take the good with the bad.”
The star also talked about a few of those “bad” elements in the fame game. “Well, you live in a gilded cage,” Dempsey said. “You know you’re being photographed as soon as you step outside.” It was partially due to this overwhelming pressure from the public and media that led Dempsey to feel that starring on the show was “unsustainable.” “I think that was a frustration towards the end of it,” he admitted.
Patrick Dempsey isn’t likely to return to ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
Although fans have been holding out hope that Dempsey could make some sort of return to Grey’s Anatomy, even after his recent surprise appearance on Meredith’s beach, the actor quashed that idea in his interview with Fatherly. “For me, there’s nothing left there to go back and do at this point,” Dempsey said. “I think the show is trying to find its legs without many of the original characters remaining.”
Instead, Dempsey is focusing on other ventures — such as his recent role in the Disney movie Disenchanted, a sequel to the 2007 film Enchanted. He’s also dedicating a lot of time to his primary passion, which is automobile racing, and of course, prioritizing time with his family. While he might not enjoy the level of fame that he enjoyed in the post-Grey’s Anatomy blitz, that seems to be just fine with Dempsey.
