Patrick Galen Dempsey, who was born on January 13, 1966, is an American actor, known for his role as neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Before Grey's Anatomy, he made ‌‌ several television appearances and was even nominated for an Emmy Award. He also appeared in several films including Sweet Home Alabama, Made of Honor, Valentine, Flypaper, Freedom Writers, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Dempsey was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 12 years. Accordingly, it is necessary for him to memorize all his lines to perform, even for auditions where he was unlikely to get the part. Dempsey was born in Lewiston, Maine, and grew up in Buckfield, Maine. His mother, Amanda, was a school secretary, and his father, William Dempsey, was an insurance salesman. He attended Buckfield High School and St. Dominic Regional High School. Dempsey was nominated for Best Actor in a Television Series - Drama He won a Golden Globes Award for the role.

He was the face of L’Oreal and Versace and was featured in advertisements for Serengeti sunglasses. In November 2008, he launched a perfume Avon called Unscripted, and because of its success a second fragrance named Patrick Dempsey 2 was launched in October 2009.

He has been married twice. In 1987, he married actress and acting coach Rocky Parker. She was his best friend's mother and appeared with Dempsey in the film In the Mood. The couple divorced in 1994.

On July 31, 1999, Dempsey married Jillian Fink. The couple has three children, daughter Talula Fyfe and twins Sullivan Patrick and Darby Galen (born 1 February 2007). The family resides in Malibu and also has a home in Texas. They own a farmhouse in Maine as well, but that property is currently for sale.