Portrait of Patrick Dempsey

Birthday profile

Patrick Dempsey

American actor and racecar driver

Born
January 13, 1966
Age in 2026
60
Zodiac sign
Capricorn
Birth year
1966

About Patrick Dempsey

Patrick Galen Dempsey (born January 13, 1966) is an American actor and racecar driver who is best known for playing neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd in Grey's Anatomy (2005–2015; 2020–2021). He is also known for his leading man romantic film roles, such as Enchanted (2007). Dempsey has received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards, and was named as People's Sexiest Man Alive in 2023. Dempsey started his career acting in films such as Can't Buy Me Love (1987) and Loverboy (1989). He has since starred in several romantic comedy films such as Sweet Home Alabama (2002), Made of Honor (2008), Valentine's Day (2010), and Bridget Jones's Baby (2016). Dempsey has also taken dramatic roles in Outbreak (1995), Scream 3 (2000), Freedom Writers (2007), Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), Thanksgiving (2023), and Ferrari (2023). He starred in and produced Flypaper (2011), and The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019). In 2026, he began playing the main role of Angelo Doyle in the Fox crime drama Memory of a Killer. Dempsey, who maintains a sports car and vintage car collection, enjoys auto racing in his spare time. He has competed in events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Daytona events in sports car racing, and the Baja 1000 in desert racing. 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. In November 2020, Dempsey appeared as Derek Shepherd at the start of the series' 17th season for the first time since the character had died in April 2015. Starting in 2013, Patrick Dempsey became the face of Silhouette, promoting eyewear fashion from Austria.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Patrick Dempsey timeline

  1. Starting in 2013, Patrick Dempsey became the face of Silhouette, promoting eyewear fashion from Austria.
  2. In November 2020, Dempsey appeared as Derek Shepherd at the start of the series' 17th season for the first time since the character had died in April 2015.
  3. Dempsey has received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards, and was named as People's Sexiest Man Alive in 2023.

The world when Patrick Dempsey was born

Patrick Dempsey was born in 1966. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1966

  • #1 song"The Ballad of the Green Berets" – SSgt Barry Sadler
  • Top movieA Man for All Seasons
  • Top TV showBonanza
  • Best-selling bookIn Cold Blood – Truman Capote

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentEngland wins the FIFA World Cup at Wembley
  • Top headlineCultural Revolution begins in China
  • Technology milestoneStar Trek premieres, inspiring future technologists
  • Defining fadBatman TV show craze
  • Notable inventionElectronic fuel injection
  • World population3.41 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderLyndon B. Johnson
  • Sports championBaltimore Orioles (World Series)
  • Also wonBoston Celtics (NBA)
  • U.S. population196.6M

1966 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Patrick Dempsey's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19662026
Gas$0.32$3.45/gal
Average home$14,200$435,000
Average income$9,400$67,500
Minimum wage$1.25$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$1.09$11.95
Postage stamp$0.05$0.73
Population196.6M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, IMDb. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.