In the years since he first won over hearts as “McDreamy” onGrey’s Anatomy,Patrick Dempseyhas become the ultimate family man.
“I mean that was the biggest challenge for me, dealing with the noise and the clutter but I’m a lot more tolerant now.”
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The actor, who will next star in the slasher filmThanksgivingand the biopicFerrari, has also realized it’s “harder” raising teens than little kids.
“Because you need to be around, but they don’t want you around because they’re fighting for their independence, which they should,” he adds. “They need to find out how they interact in the world, they need to learn those boundaries, they need to make mistakes. And you need to be there for them and allow them to learn from that.”
The newly crowned Sexiest Man Alive now credits his sons, especially for keeping him on his toes. “They keep me very active,” he says. “I need to stay in shape to keep up with them. The older you get, the more work you have to put in.”
In terms of his kids embracing his new title, Dempsey expected them to “just make fun of me and pick on me and figure out every reason why I shouldn’t be,” he says, laughing. “Which is good, they keep me young.”
People’s Sexiest Man Alive 2023; Patrick Dempsey photographed at a private location (Dolphin House) in Malibu, CA on October 5, 2023.Carter Smith
Carter Smith
When the actor first heard the news, he “was completely shocked, and then I started laughing, like, this is a joke, right? I’ve always been the bridesmaid!” he says. “I’d completely forgotten about it and never even contemplated being in this position. So my ego is good.”
Patrick Dempsey and his mom.dempsey center/instagram
dempsey center/instagram
As for his mom, “I think she’d be proud,” he adds. “We founded it in 2008 and one of the things that kept her going was going into the Center. She would come in and talk to people who were newly diagnosed. There’s a lot of healing between both people in those moments.”
Thanksgivinghits theaters on Nov. 17.Ferrariwill be out Christmas Day. For more information on the Dempsey Center, visitwww.dempseycenter.org.
For more on 2023’s Sexiest Man Alive, pick up this week’s issue ofPeople, on newsstands Friday.
source: people.com
