Patrick Dempsey: Enchanted Family Man
A quiet spot where Hollywood’s elite meet, the patio dining room of the Hotel Bel-Air will never be the same for the two teenage girls who just spotted Patrick Dempsey. "Excuse me," the braver of the two starstruck fans squeaks. "We are from Saudi Arabia and we love Grey’s Anatomy so much that we want to become surgeons." Dempsey flashes a smile and happily poses for a picture with the ladies.

"I didn’t even know the show was on in Saudi Arabia," he says.

Though last season Grey’s Anatomy suffered from complications — hard-to-diagnose storylines and painful backstage drama — the rabid audience that fell in love with the surgeons and interns of Seattle Grace kept the faith. And Dempsey’s Dr. Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd remains the show’s most feverishly admired male character. Currently he is turning heads in the Disney romp, Enchanted, which is receiving rave reviews.

David Keeps: First things first: how did you spend your recent vacation?

Patrick Dempsey: We went to England, the Isle of Skye, and Scotland, where I filmed a comedy called Made of Honor.

DK: Sounds romantic. Enchanted is a romance as well, right?

PD: Yes. I don’t think people want to see me play dark characters. And I don’t want to see anything violent.

DK: Was it fun to get out of L.A.?

PD: It rained the entire time we were in England, but I love the rain and we got to shoot in beautiful castles in the countryside, so I can’t complain. My daughter is really interested in horses right now, so we did some riding. I also had an opportunity to see the British Grand Prix and the Tour de France. It was a nice holiday.

DK: Going halfway around the world with a preschooler and newborn twins is a holiday?

PD: Well, it was a lot of work dealing with the travel, but it was nice to be in an environment where you’re not that well known. Here [in L.A.], we can’t go out without somebody taking pictures or videotaping us, which is ridiculous. Being in Europe gave us a sense of getting back to normal as a family.

DK: How do you feel about the paparazzi?

PD: It’s like you’re being hunted. You have to be cool about it because the moment you let your guard down and show any disdain, it’s going to be captured and that’s what people are going to see. [Pause] There are other things in the world that are far more important that aren’t being discussed, or are being covered up. The fact that we’re not putting more attention on what’s really important makes me ask, "Is Rome really burning?"

DK: Right on. How does this affect you as a parent?

PD: You have to grow as an individual in order to be a good parent because your kids are watching your behavior. You need to have patience, and when you don’t have it, you have to put things aside. You need to come to terms with your own individual curses so you don’t pass them on to your children.

DK: How is fatherhood different with sons?

PD: I was used to being with all girls, and now the male energy is back in the house. It’s fun because you can be a little more of a guy with them. It makes me want to be in the position where I can let them grow up in the country and run around and get dirty and go fishing and skiing. I thought about getting a place in the countryside in England. I could really see myself living there. It’s similar to Maine, where I grew up.

DK: Let’s talk career. Is it true that you auditioned for the title role of House?

PD: Yes, it was going on the same week I was auditioning for Grey’s. I was called back multiple times to both. But I knew House wasn’t going to happen — the character was much darker than where I was. And then with Grey’s, Rob Lowe was initially offered the role and he turned it down. Then all I had to do was test with Ellen [Pompeo] to see what kind of chemistry we’d have.

DK: So what’s up with "Der" and "Mer" — or should that be "Deredith"?

PD: [Laughs] I really don’t know what’s going to happen and I’ve stopped trying to guess. I think the conflicts and the wanting between them made it work, but then they hit a wall. It’s like, why can’t these people have an adult relationship with some depth to it?

DK: Maybe Derek needs to check out another intern like, say, Cristina?

PD: I have been doing a lot of work with Sandra [Oh], resolving what has happened with Burke leaving. We were laughing about the idea that it’s just a matter of time before Derek and Cristina hook up. Could it happen? You never know.

DK: So what is the atmosphere like on the set now that Burke has left the building?

PD: [Pauses] Last year was very toxic. It was really our sophomore slump. There were a lot of expectations and everybody was getting used to fame, to being under a spotlight where everything was being analyzed and dissected. Now I think people have come to terms with that and are getting settled in their lives and back to what’s important. And I do think the show is back on track.

DK: Where do you think it made a wrong turn?

PD: Toward the end of last season we got a little lost. All the relationships became very unhappy and the show ended on kind of a sour note. The good thing is that in the four shows we have already shot for the new season, the sense of humor and the heart is back. Now it’s fun when we’re at the table reading through the script.

DK: Might there have been some jealousy on the set?

PD: Insecurity can be a dangerous thing. But I’m very happy to be moving on, and so is everyone else!

DK: Still, the tension must have been difficult, no?

PD: I had so much pressure going on last year from every angle — knowing that my sons were coming, the anxiety of moving to a new house, the show switching to a new night. I’m just really happy the boys are here and they’re healthy. You come home and it’s all equalized — it doesn’t matter who you are or what you do outside other than the fact that it brings money to the table so you can support your family.

DK: One last thing: it seemed to strike people as heroic that in the incident with Isaiah Washington, you reportedly defended T.R. Knight but have never commented on it.

PD: Let me put it this way: when I was young, I met Joe Garagiola from the Today Show. He told me something that I believe he heard from Yogi Berra, and I’m paraphrasing: "For those who know me, no explanation is necessary. For those who don’t, no explanation is possible." — David Keeps, photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images