We knew it all along but People magazine just made it official. Actor Patrick Dempsey has been named as the ‘sexiest man alive’ for 2023 by People. Dempsey takes over the title from 2022 honoree and Marvel star Chris Evans. Dempsey is best known for playing heartthrob neurosurgeon Derek ‘McDreamy’ Shepherd in the medical drama Grey’s Anatomy and modern-day prince charming in the musical film Enchanted.
“It’s nice to have the recognition, and certainly my ego takes a little bump, but it gives me the platform to use it for something positive,” Dempsey told People for the cover story.
Dempsey, 57, married to makeup artist and beauty line founder Jillian, is most interested in how his children, Talula, 21, and 16-year-old twins Sullivan and Darby, will react to his new status.
“They’re just going to make fun of me and pick on me and figure out every reason why I shouldn’t be,” he said. “Which is good, they keep me young.”
In December, Dempsey will be seen in the biopic Ferrari, directed by Michael Mann, portraying Italian Formula One driver Piero Taruffi opposite Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz.
When Dempsey found out the movie was being made, he took a risk and called Mann to ask for a part.
“I’d been following the movie for years, so I called Michael,” he recalled. “That taught me if you really want something, you have to do it yourself.”