Collin County Living Well Magazine May/June 2017 | Page 12

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“We’re like a married couple; it’s 10 years and it was mag-
ic from the beginning…Very moving, always has been,” he
told Entertainment Weekly during an exit interview in 2015
after wrapping up his role on the series.
Dempsey’s character was so popular, in fact, that Rhimes
herself came under fire for killing off Derek after a season
that saw his appearances dwindle. She was forced to ex-
plain her decision to the angry mob after some boycotted
the show after Dempsey’s shocking departure.
“Meredith and Derek’s love had to remain Meredith and
Derek’s Love,” Rhimes told E News. “…I couldn’t really
have the idea that he turned out to be a bad guy who
walked out on his wife and kids…to me, it was the only
way to make Meredith and Derek’s magic remain true and
forever frozen in time.”
After playing such a universally beloved character,
Dempsey said his challenge would be to explore new ter-
rain in his evolving acting career.
“Will I be allowed to do something different? That will be
the challenge, to see if people embrace me as someone
else,” he went on to say in the exit interview that broke
thousands of hearts. The show went on without him, but for
many fans, was never quite the same.
The race comes full circle
Meredith and Derek may have
enjoyed an epic love story, but
the twice-married actor and father
of three coped with his share of
highs and lows over the years. He
endured a much-publicized divorce
filing in 2015 after 15 years of
marriage to make-up artist Jillian
Fink. The following year he confirmed
the two had reconciled.
Dempsey and his team celebrate after
winning their division at the 2015 Rolex 24
at Daytona International Speedway.
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COLLIN COUNTY Living Well Magazine | MAY/JUNE 2017
Patrick Dempsey with wife Jillian Fink and family at the world
premiere of Bridget Jones’s Baby.
“You have to work at everything. And you cannot do every-
thing. Something has to be sacrificed,” he told Us maga-
zine in 2016. While juggling his demanding schedule for
Grey’s, he toggled an equally all-consuming passion: auto
racing. Over the years he’s competed in 68 races, scoring
his top podium win at Le Mans in 2015, and also winning
the FIA World Endurance Championship race at Fuji. While
he claimed racing was even more exciting than acting, he
decided to take a break in 2016 to focus on family and
helping his children achieve their own dreams.
His new season marks a maturing full circle from humble
beginnings. A proud son of Lewiston, Maine, Dempsey’s
parents were middle class professionals who valued
church, work, and education. Often labeled “lazy,” he

struggled academically, but
was then diagnosed with dys-
lexia in middle school. He’d
shown an interest in acting
during his high school years,
and decided he wanted to