Patrick Dempsey has reflected on his departure from Grey’s Anatomy, more than a decade after leaving the long running medical drama. The actor revisited the circumstances behind his decision to step away from the series. He also shared what influenced that turning point in his career.
Patrick Dempsey explains Grey’s Anatomy exit
Patrick Dempsey has revealed why he left Grey’s Anatomy during an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show. Dempsey exited the series in 2015 after playing Dr Derek Shepherd, known as McDreamy, since the show began in 2005. He left during season 11 of the US medical drama set at Seattle’s Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
Speaking about his departure, he said: “It was time to walk away. I had the opportunity to do a full season in the WEC, which is the (FIA) World Endurance Championship. That was my love” (via The Independent). After leaving the series, he competed in the World Endurance Championship and won a six-hour race in Japan.
Reflecting on the show’s impact, Dempsey said: “For me, it’s (Grey’s Anatomy) been a blessing. It’s given me a wonderful platform. I think the best thing that has come out of it is that a lot of young people have gone into the medical profession because of it – I think that’s a great thing.” He also said he kept the series away from his children, stating: “I didn’t really expose them to the show (Grey’s Anatomy). I kept them as far away as possible.”
Dempsey said the visibility of the programme supported his charity work, including opening a cancer treatment centre in Lewiston, Maine. According to its website, The Dempsey Center provides free holistic treatment including nutritional care, counselling, fitness classes and integrative therapies.
He said: “It was inspired by my own mother’s cancer journey – she had ovarian cancer over 12 recurrences. We don’t treat the disease, we treat the person holistically and the visibility of the show (Grey’s Anatomy) helped me do that. You come out of surgery and your treatment, you may be cured but you’re not healed and that’s where we come in.”
