How Patrick Dempsey Is Like His ‘Disenchanted’ Character
After over a decade of fans pleading for a sequel, the follow-up to Enchanted is finally here on Disney+. Disenchanted brings back all of the main stars from the first movie, but the story hands the characters new problems to solve. As Giselle’s (Amy Adams) husband, Robert, Patrick Dempsey got involved in the more fantastical elements of the world than he did in the first film, and Robert’s journey as a parent also mirrored his real-life experience.
Robert attempts to create domestic bliss with Giselle in ‘Disenchanted’
Robert Philip has come a long way from the cynical divorce attorney he was introduced as in Enchanted. After falling in love with Giselle, the couple leaves Manhattan for the quiet suburbia of Monroeville with their daughters Morgan and Sofia.
It’s a tough transition for the family to make, a reality that Patrick Dempsey and director Adam Shankman were happy to explore in the film.
“At the beginning [of Disenchanted], they make this big shift to improve the quality of their life and the environment that their children are in,” the actor told Entertainment Weekly. “And with all of that, it brings up a lot of conflict and turmoil — individually, and then collectively as a family. He’s not happy with that choice and he’s questioning is it the right thing to do and what he should be doing with the rest of his life.”
Both Dempsey and his character deal with the joys and anxieties of fatherhood
Robert Philip gets to work out some of his frustrations through Disenchanted’s main plot. After Giselle turns Monroeville into a fantasy kingdom called Monrolasia, Robert transforms into a sword-wielding adventurer in search of a purpose. To prepare for this part of the role, Patrick Dempsey had to learn choreography with a plastic sword for some of his scenes.
He also got to sing in the movie, featuring in the musical numbers and dancing on his own. It is a far cry from his character’s place as the comedic straight man in the first movie. Dempsey had never performed in a musical before, so he worked with a voice coach to get his vocals right for Disenchanted.
Other parts of Robert’s persona came more naturally to him. In a profile about Dempsey for Fatherly, Shankman explained how the actor and the character share the same priorities and worldview.
“Robert and Patrick are in many ways aligned as human beings,” the director said. “Patrick cares very deeply about his family — it’s so undeniably true. He is also always searching. He’s a curious person. He’s adventurous. What I don’t see in Patrick that’s in Robert is a sense of dissatisfaction. Robert wonders, ‘What is the truth about this chapter in my life, and where does it go from here?’ Patrick has that life experience already.”
Dempsey has three children with his wife Jillian Fink – a 20-year-old daughter named Talula and 15-year-old twins Darby and Sullivan. He told Entertainment Tonight that he and his wife found out she was pregnant with twins during the filming of Enchanted.
Dempsey’s main outlet outside the acting world is racing, participating in several events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and maintaining a vintage car collection.
The reviews for ‘Disenchanted’ are mixed
Patrick Dempsey and his fellow cast members give the impression that they greatly enjoyed making Disenchanted together, but the final product is leaving many fans and critics cold.
The movie has a 38% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 53% audience score. Adams’ performance as Giselle is the main draw, and the six-time Oscar nominee remains excellent in the role, but the film’s main flaw is that it lacks the vibrancy and clear-eyed ambition of Enchanted.
