Although perhaps best known as the unlikely heartthrob of such classic '80s nostalgia films such as Can't Buy Me Love and Loverboy, Patrick Dempsey has grown into a mature actor and a talent that Hollywood will continue to recognize.
In 2001 Dempsey nabbed an Emmy nomination as Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Aaron Brooks, Sela Ward's psychologically unbalanced brother, in the critically lauded Once & Again.
In 2004 he co-starred in the highly-acclaimed HBO production, Iron Jawed Angels, opposite Hilary Swank and Anjelica Huston. Other credits include Disney's Sweet Home Alabama, opposite Reese Witherspoon, as well as Scream 3, With Honors, Outbreak, Hugo Pool, The Treat, The Palace Thief, Heaven Help Us, Happy Together, Some Girls, Coupe De Ville, Run, Mobsters and In the Mood.
In 2003 Dempsey made a memorable guest appearance on NBC's hit show, Will & Grace, as Will's love interest. Additionally he starred in the NBC movie based on Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, opposite Ben Kingsley, and appeared in the television miniseries 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with Michael Caine. He also co-starred with Oliver Reed in the biblical epic, Jeremiah. Other television movies and miniseries include JFK: Reckless Youth, A Season in Purgatory, Blood Knot, The Right to Remain Silent, Shallow Grave and Blonde.
Dempsey was born and raised in Lewiston, Maine. He first appeared on stage as David in the San Francisco production of Torch Song Trilogy. Other early stage work includes On Golden Pond for the Maine Acting Company, the international touring production of Brighton Beach Memoirs, which was directed by Gene Saks, and The Subject Was Roses at the Roundabout Theatre in New York. He recently took the stage again in The Pasadena Playhouse run of The Importance of Being Earnest, as Algernon Moncrieff.
In addition to acting, Dempsey is an avid racing enthusiast and has participated in the Panoz Series and the Pro Miata series. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California, with his wife, Jillian, and their daughter, Talula.