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Patrick Galen Dempsey is an American actor, voice actor, and race car driver, who is perhaps best known for playing Derek Shepherd in the ABC sitcom Grey's Anatomy. He also starred in various films, such as Heaven Help Us, A Fighting Choice, Can't Buy Me Love, Loverboy, Happy Together, and Bank Robber.

For Disney, he voiced Kenai in the 2006 direct-to-video film Brother Bear 2 (replacing Joaquin Phoenix) and portrayed Robert Philip in the 2007 hybrid film Enchanted, as well as reprised his role in the 2022 sequel Disenchanted. He also played Andrew Hennings in the 2002 Touchstone Pictures film Sweet Home Alabama, Charlie Farrow in Run, Ronald Miller in Can't Buy Me Love, and Kellin Taylor in the 1986 TV film A Fighting Choice. Additionally, he voiced Paolo Vanderbeek in the Phineas and Ferb episode "Live and Let Drive" and produced the 2019 Fox film The Art of Racing in the Rain. He was also mentioned in the Muppets episode "Pig's in a Blackout".

He was named a Disney Legend in 2022.

Dempsey was born in Lewiston, Maine, and grew up in the nearby towns of Turner and Buckfield. He has two older sisters. His mother, Amanda (née Casson), was a school secretary, and his father, William, was an insurance salesman. He attended Leavitt Area High School, Buckfield High School and St. Dominic Regional High School, and after moving to Houston attended Willowridge High School. In his youth, Dempsey participated in juggling competitions. In 1981, he achieved second place at the International Jugglers' Association Championship in the Juniors category, just behind Anthony Gatto, who is considered to be the best technical juggler of all time. At age 12, Dempsey was diagnosed with dyslexia. He told Barbara Walters on her 2008 Oscar special that he thinks dyslexia made him what he is today. "It's given me a perspective of — you have to keep working," Dempsey told Walters. "I have never given up."

Dempsey, who maintains a sports car and vintage car collection, also enjoys auto racing in his spare time. He has competed in pro-am events, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 at Daytona sports car race, and Ensenada 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.

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