The Charismatic and Seductive Patrick Dempsey

At the time of the interview, Patrick Dempsey has just arrived in Los Angeles after a brief stay in Mexico, where he was participating in the first part of the Carrera Panamericana. “I would like to continue there but I had many commitments. It is a great race, I have wanted to do it for quite some time, I had heard a lot about that challenge and it exceeded my expectations.”

The 57-year-old actor from Maine is best known for the role of surgeon Derek Shepherd, nicknamed McDreamy, in the legendary series Grey's Anatomy. In addition to having starred for ten years in that series that gave him massive popularity, he maintains a career that was characterised more than anything by characters that exploited his natural talent and charm. In fiction he fell in love with a scream queen (Scream 3), with a princess straight out of an animated fairy tale (Enchanted , which had a recent sequel), with his best friend about to get married (I want to steal the bride) and even the iconic Bridget Jones (Bridget Jones's Baby).

But acting was not his first love and today he divides his time with what it was, motor racing. “I always liked running, ever since I was a kid. I only started doing it seriously in 2004 but the passion was always there. “I admire one of his compatriots, Fangio, one of the greatest legends.” At that moment he is in charge of opening a parenthesis to jump to another sport and wink at Argentina: “Messi is another great, I think today he is the biggest sports star in the world. Not only for what he has done on the field, with the World Cup and the championships, but also as a man. Kind, generous, lovable, very intelligent. A true hero.”

After returning to the horror genre this year with Black Friday, Dempsey releases what is perhaps his most important film. It is not difficult to imagine why Ferrari – in Argentine theaters from February 8 – means so much to him. In the film he plays Piero Taruffi, the driver who wins the last and tragic edition of the Mille Miglia. “I wanted to be part of this film for fifteen years. I read the script a long time ago and thought it was the best thing I had read about racing. I think people are going to love it, it shows a lot of humanity, a lot of emotions and captures the essence of that period.”

L'OFFICIEL: How was the reconstruction of that historic edition of the Mille Miglia ?

PATRICK DEMPSEY: It was fun because for me the best part was that I got to drive. We did it at a fast pace, I was surrounded by stuntmen and other drivers I already knew. Not only was there a good story to tell but it also had great visual impact. I had a great time working with Michael Mann, he is very demanding, I learned a lot. He is passionate about racing and Ferrari, of course, so it was a dream job. And Adam Driver is fantastic too.

L'O: What was your favorite moment of filming?

PS: I enjoyed every minute. I was in Italy, in Modena. I rode my bike on the weekends, drove high-speed cars in front of the cameras, and just lived La Dolce Vita. The whole experience was an absolute dream.

Dempsey always looks impeccable and is also the face of an exclusive line of glasses for Porsche Design and an ambassador for Tag Heuer for several years. “ I had many good experiences with the brand, each of the watches I wore in races are moments in life and a physical memory of those experiences,” he declares about that collaboration.

L'O: What is your relationship with fashion like?

PS: I'm classic. I think David Beckham has a lot of style, as does Jude Law. I choose handmade suits, Italian design, I like to dress in a way that generates confidence, that the clothes do not dress me but vice versa. I like Brunello Cucinelli, which has an incredible brand, conscious of the planet and fair work, and I adhere to its philosophy.

Among his many facets, it should be noted that we are facing a committed actor, with his feet on the ground, who supports charitable causes. So in 2006 he founded the Dempsey Center. “We do not treat the disease, the cancer, but the person. Not only to those who suffer from it, but to those who are affected. We offer different types of activities, everything patients may need to help and support them throughout their illness. I think it was important understand that I could do something positive and relevant with the fame I had achieved.”

L'O: What is Patrick Dempsey afraid of?

PS: It scares me where we are as a world. I think that's what scares me the most. There are many things happening politically, environmentally. The scale and power of certain catastrophes, the amount of unnecessary suffering. It breaks my heart.

L'O: Among so many activities, how do you like to spend your free time?

PS: Playing paddle tennis. I train. I practice cycling. I love being at home because I travel a lot. I'm quite a homebody. I like to cook. My daughter is a pastry chef so she is always experimenting and preparing sweet things to eat. Spending time with family, my wife and children. It is the most satisfying.

Always on the go, between his careers and his passions, he values ​​the place where he comes from, his true home. “My favorite place in the world is Maine, I always look to return. I have a house there and it is where I feel at peace, where I grew up. And my second favorite place is probably a race car.”

Production @DanieleCarettoni - @EspressoProductions. Photography @DennisLeupold - @ArtDeptAgency. Styling @Luca_Falcioni_ - @OpusBeauty. Groomer @JillianDempsey - @WalterSchupferManagement. Photography assistants @KevinLeupold, Marco Bravo, @Alli.G.Studio. Styling assistance @FrankieBenkovic. Location @TheCorazzaHouse.