Hollywood actor Patrick Dempsey reflected on his long stint on hit medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, calling its cultural impact “incredible”.
Dempsey, who played Dr Derek Shepherd, popularly known as McDreamy, appeared on Thursday’s episode of Jimmy Fallon's The Tonight Show where he spoke about the show’s enduring popularity.
The 60-year-old actor starred on Grey’s Anatomy for 11 seasons and appeared in around 237 episodes. While he admitted he remembers little of the complex medical jargon he once had to memorise, Dempsey said the show’s real achievement lies elsewhere.
“The best thing that’s come out of this show is I meet so many young people that have gone into the medical profession, which is needed right now more than ever,” he said, particularly praising nurses and frontline healthcare workers.
Dempsey added that most of the technical language felt like “cramming for a test”, joking that only basic terms such as MRI, CAT scan and “STAT” stayed with him.
In a recent interview with Parade, Dempsey revealed that he had hoped to reunite with former Grey’s Anatomy co-star Eric Dane on his new Fox crime drama Memory of a Killer, but the plan could not materialise due to Dane’s health.
“I spoke to him a few weeks ago. I’ve been texting with him,” Dempsey said, explaining that the progression of Dane’s ALS made it “virtually impossible” for him to take on the role. However, he said he was pleased to learn that Dane was recently working in Toronto on NBC’s medical drama Brilliant Minds.
Dempsey and Dane portrayed close friends Dr Derek Shepherd and Dr Mark Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy for several seasons. Despite leaving the show more than a decade ago, Dempsey said he remains close to Dane and deeply moved by his former co-star’s battle with ALS.