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Welcome to the 3rd Patrick Dempsey Appr. Thread!

Born on the 13th of January 1966 in Lewiston, Maine and the youngest of three children, the Irish-American Patrick Dempsey showed he had incredible talent from an early age. A born performer from the beginning, at the tender age of 7, Patrick attended dancing classes where he proceeded to get kicked out for talking and flirting too much! At the age of 12, they discovered he suffered from dyslexia, he overcame it and now he attributes his strengthened professionalism and drive.

When he was 15 he developed his own act and toured the New England Vaudeville Circuit as a juggler, unicyclist, comedian and magician. He also went on to win the State of Maine Downhill Racing competition, and came second in a International Juggling event. As any true fan will know, Patrick often employed his skills in his varied movie roles over the years, especially his dancing techniques. In 1981 he also won a Talent America Contest, it was clear from the start that he had enough determination to make it big.

He got his chance to shine when he was spotted by an agent and invited to audition for the role of 'David' in the stage production of Torch Song Trilogy. After winning the role Patrick spent the next four months touring with the company in San Francisco. He followed this with another tour, Brighton Beach Memoirs, in the lead role which was directed by Gene Saks. Dempsey also made notable appearances in the stage productions of On Golden Pond and The Subject was Roses which was at the Roundabout Theatre in New York.

In the teen sex comedy Meatballs 3, he landed the role of Rudy a 14 year old virgin desperate to lose his virginity. Although this received terrible reviews, it still managed to raise more than a few laughs and be thoroughly entertaining. His big break into the movies came in 1985 when he was cast opposite Andrew McCarthy and Kevin Dillon in his big screen debut Catholic Boys as Corbet. Although his role was small he still managed to make an impression and get noticed.

He went on to star in the Disney TV Movie A Fighting Choice with Beau Bridges, portraying a young boy with epilepsy. Dempsey's portrayal was so convincing that he won a special award from the Epilepsy Foundation. This was followed by a TV Series of the hit film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Unfortunately this was reportedly a flop, but it was a important learning experience for Patrick.

In the Mood, Patrick's next film gained much more favourable reviews and won the hearts of critics everywhere who quoted his performance as being wonderfully naive. Dempsey played the role of real life womanizer Sonny Ellsworth Wisecarver who at the age of 15 courted two older women, even going on to marry one. This was to reflect on Patrick's private life, when at the age of 21 he married his manager at the time Rocky Parker who was 48 years old. Parker even made a cameo appearance in In the Mood as a screaming woman on the train. Their marriage sadly was to ended in divorce.

by Duffy

Cant Buy Me Love is undoubtedly a favourite with Patrick's fans. Starring opposite Amanda Petersen as the Nerd who offers her $1,000 for her to pose as his girlfriend for a month, he captured the hearts of women everywhere and discovered a whole new legion of fans.

He seems to be settled in his private life as he got married to Jillian Fink, who is a make up artist with her own company called Delux Beauty, on July 31, 1999. He also became a father for the first time in January 2002 when his wife gave birth to their daughter, Tallulah. In february of 2007, his wife Jillian gave birth once again to twin boys Darby and Sullivan.

He has starred in the successful horror trilogy Scream 3 along with Neve Campbell and has made several guest appearances in the popular tv shows Once and Again for which he was nominated for a emmy and Will & Grace. Patrick also played Reese Witherspoon's fiancé in Sweet Home Alabama in 2002.

In 2005, he finally got the role of Dr. Derek Shepherd, a brillant surgeon, in the hit show Grey's Anatomy created by Shonda Rhimes.


Patrick supports the following charities:

Breakaway From Cancer » Home (spokesperson)

Patrick Facts

Eyes: blue
Hair: dark
Height: 5'10 1/2 (1.79 m)
Family: he's the youngest of 3 children, he's family has Irish and American origins.
Fav. movies: Great Expectations, Downhill Racer, Diva, La Femme Nikita.
Fav. actors: Ben Kingsley, Anthony Hopkins.
Fav. band: The Foo Fighters.
Fav quotes: "For those who know me, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't, no explanation is possible".
Fav sport: racing and biking

- Patrick only allows his wife to cut his hair.
- Daughter Tallulah is named after a little girl who once assisted him on a shopping expedition
- Patrick admitted in November 2006, that he was so short when he was in school that the kids teased him about it. Trying to put an end to the teasing, Patrick joined a vaudeville troupe and took up unicycling, juggling and puppetry. When Patrick was a teen he dreamed of becoming a pro Juggler after he won 3rd place at the National Jugglers Convention. His intentions were to attend Clown College.
- 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."
- Dempsey was the Maine state downhill skiing champion in highschool.
- His mother Amanda Dempsey, worked in the high school Patrick attended as a secretary.
- Patrick has 2 sisters
- Patrick's father was named William Dempsey
- He opened a medical center with his sister Mary



Quotes by Patrick

"L.A. chews through people. I'm doing a lot of gardening. Actors like gardenings because you plant something and you go away, and when you come back, something has happened. It's like when I went back home to Maine recently for the longest time I've stayed there since I left. I bought a house and farm for my mother and I helped remodel it. I walked down the street of my home town, and everything I hated about it when I was growing up, I now appreciate." -- The Chicago Tribune, October 11, 1998


"The first time I was successful, when I was in my 20s, I was never comfortable with my success. Not that I'm so comfortable now, but I realize that it's a day-to-day process and I'm a work in progress." -- The Chicago Tribune, October 11, 1998.


In real life "defining romance is very tricky. It's not just candles and flowers." The secret to keeping the spark alive? The eyes. Hers. "I was always taken by them," he says. "They're warm, sparkly eyes. That's the most beautiful part of someone."

"One day my 3-year-old daughter said, 'You're very handsome, Poppy.' That was the best compliment ever."

"I think love takes a lot of work," Dempsey said. "It just doesn’t happen, and if you don’t work at it, it’s over."


Fan List
1. LivvyxBaby
2. shinystar
3. Flowers
4. princess fiona
5. tijuana_lady
6. tonka17
7. Nymph Marty
8. HoneyBunnyAnne


Milestones

• (1994) Appeared as Brendan Fraser's college roommate in "With Honors"
• (1983) Appeared in San Francisco production of "Torch Song Trilogy"
• (1987) Breakthrough role as Ronald Miller, the loveable geek in "Can't Buy Me Love"
• (2005) Cast as Dr. Derek Shepherd in the ABC medical drama "Grey's Anatomy"; earned Golden Globe (2006, 2007) and SAG (2006) nominations for Best Actor
• (2000) Cast in a recurring role as the psycholigically disturbed Aaron, brother of Lily (Sela Ward) on ABC's "Once and Again"; earned an Emmy nomination in 2001
• (2004) Cast in the HBO original movie "Iron Jawed Angels" based on womens' struggle for the right to vote in America
• (1993) Cast in the title role of the ABC miniseries "JFK: Reckless Youth"
• (2000) Co-starred as a detective investigating a string of murders on a film set in "Scream 3"
• (1990) Co-starred in "Coup de Ville"
• (2002) Co-starred with Reese Witherspoon in the romantic comedy "Sweet Home Alabama"
• (1994) Directorial debut as co-helmer (with then wife Rocky Parker) of "Ava's Magical Adventure"
• (1985) Film acting debut, "Heaven Help Us"
• (2000-2001) Had recurring role as a closeted sportscaster dating lawyer Will Truman (Eric McCormack) in the NBC sitcom "Will & Grace"
• (1991) Made Off-Broadway debut in a revival of "The Subject Was Roses"
• (1997) Modeled clothes for the J. Crew catalog
• (1981) Performed as juggler, magician and puppeteer before Elks clubs and community organizations
• (2007) Played the husband of Hilary Swank's character in "Freedom Writers"
• (1998) Played title role in the biblical drama "Jeremiah" (aired in the USA in 2000 on PAX TV)
• (2001) Portrayed Cass Chaplin (a semi-fictive Charles Chaplin Jr.) in the CBS miniseries "Blonde" based on Joyce Carol Oates' novel
• (1989) Portrayed an amorous pizza delivery man in "Loverboy"
• (1991) Portrayed the young Meyer Lansky in "Mobsters"
• Raised in rural communities of Turner and Buckfield, Maine
• (1983) Stage debut, "On Golden Pond", with Maine Acting Company (date approximate)
• (1996) Starred in the CBS miniseries "A Season in Purgatory", adapted from the Dominick Dunne novel
• (1986) TV debut as Mike Damone in the short-lived CBS teen sitcom "Fast Times"
• (1986) TV-movie debut as an epileptic teen in "A Fighting Choice" (ABC)
• Toured for a year in leading role of Eugene Jerome in the Neil Simon comedy-drama "Brighton Beach Memoirs"
• (1983) Won "Talent America" contest and the attention of a booking agent during the summer

Previous Threads
#1 - Because he's McDreamy!
#2 - He doesn't think he's sexy, he just is!
#3 - He's gorgeous, he's got a great body, and he's got damn fine hair!

Future Thread Title Suggestions
~ He's very cool, special, down-to-earth and good-looking too, no?

by Flowers


by Duffy