Patrick Dempsey

Patrick Galen Dempsey (born January 13, 1966) is an American actor and race car driver, best known for his role as neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd ("McDreamy") on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy. He saw early success as an actor, starring in a number of films in his early 20s, including Can't Buy Me Love (1987) and Loverboy (1989). In the 1990s, he mostly appeared in smaller roles in film and television, before landing a lead role in Sweet Home Alabama (2002), a surprise box office hit. He has since then starred in a number of other films, including Enchanted, Made of Honor, Valentine's Day, Flypaper, Freedom Writers and Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

Dempsey, who maintains an exclusive sports and vintage car collection, also enjoys auto racing in his spare time. He has competed in prestigious pro-am events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 at Daytona sports car race, and Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 off-road race. Prior to the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans, Dempsey declared that he would "walk away" from acting if he could and dedicate himself full-time to motorsports.

Early life
Dempsey was born in Lewiston, Maine, and grew up in Buckfield, Maine. His mother, Amanda (née Casson), He attended Buckfield High School and St. Dominic Regional High School. He was an adept juggler, tying for second in a national juggling competition.

Acting career
Early career
Dempsey was discovered by an invitation to audition for a role in the stage production of Torch Song Trilogy. His audition was successful, and he spent the following four months touring with the company in Philadelphia. He followed this with another tour, Brighton Beach Memoirs, in the lead role, which was directed by Gene Saks. Dempsey has also made notable appearances in the stage productions of On Golden Pond, with the Maine Acting Company, and as Timmy (the Martin Sheen role) in a 1990 Off-Broadway revival of The Subject Was Roses co-starring with John Mahoney and Dana Ivey at the Roundabout Theatre in New York.

Source @ Wikipedia