Because Patrick Dempesey’s character was such a key part of the medical drama, many fans were shocked to see Derek Shepherd, aka McDreamy, killed off in Grey’s Anatomy with a heartbreaking death. Dempsey’s Dr Shepherd was almost as synonymous with the show as Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey, when the character unexpectedly died in Grey’s Anatomy season 11. As the show’s original leading man, his and Meredith’s love story had been a pillar of the medical drama’s storytelling for almost a decade. Hence, it was shocking when Derek unexpectedly died in a car crash, leaving many viewers devastated.
While Grey’s Anatomy already had its fair share of deaths, Dempsey’s fatal accident ranked as one of the most gut-wrenching. It was also a big gamble for the series as it was unclear how fans would react to losing such an integral part of the series. Despite the controversial move, the show has continued on well beyond this moment with Grey’s Anatomy season 20 on its way. However, even after all this time, fans still wonder why Derek left Grey’s Anatomy.
Why Patrick Dempsey Left Grey’s Anatomy
Dempsey Returned To The Show For A Guest Role In Season 17
Many Grey’s Anatomy actors left the show early, so it is not surprising there were questions about Patrick Dempsey leaving the show. Ultimately, Dempsey’s departure from the series was particularly controversial. The actor was still contracted for two years, which was supposed to last until the show’s season 12. The fact that Derek was written out of the series while the actor’s deal was still in effect resulted in murmurs of on-set issues involving him.
At one point, Dempsey and Rhimes were allegedly in conflict, leading to the latter deciding to end Derek’s time on Grey’s Anatomy abruptly. Subsequently, Dempsey cleared the air, saying that the decision to exit Grey’s Anatomy didn’t have anything to do with all of those rumors. Instead, he initiated the move, explaining that he had been tinkering about leaving the medical drama for quite a while before it actually happened. Dempsey didn’t discuss any issues with his co-workers.
Instead, his reason was personal, as he thought that being on a network show full-time was too time-consuming for him and had left him barely any time to spend with his family. It’s worth noting, however, that former executive producers James D. Parriott and Jeannine Renshaw later revealed in their book, How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey’s Anatomy, that there was tension between Dempsey and Rhimes. However, it seems everyone has already moved on from it, as Dempsey returned to Grey’s Anatomy season 17 for several episodes as part of Meredith’s COVID-19 arc.
What Grey’s Anatomy Creator Shonda Rhimes Says About Derek’s Departure
The Show Found Itself With Nowhere Else To Go With The Character
Despite the rumors of conflict, as well as Dempsey insisting he was ready to leave the show, Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes had her own reasons for the storyline. Years after the horrific plot twist, Rhimes explains in her Masterclass why they had no choice but to kill off the character. She also discusses why Christina Yang was written off with a feel-good storyline. Like Dempsey’s role, Sandra Oh’s Grey’s Anatomy character was beloved, but at least she got a happy ending in Grey’s Anatomy. Read her full quote below:
Derek Shepherd cannot leave Meredith Grey. He cannot leave and walk away from his wife and children because that would make him a jerk for all time. So storywise, he has to die, which is the worst but also the best possible narrative that you can come up with that’s going to make the entire storyline of those two characters true. If he is the man who we’ve said he is, he is not going to leave unless he dies.
What Patrick Dempsey Has Done Since Leaving Grey’s Anatomy
Acting Hasn’t Been Dempsey’s Only Pursuit Since Leaving The Show
Derek Shepherd is the kind of character who is so popular that Patrick Dempsey will likely always be associated with the role. However, after seeing Derek leave Grey’s Anatomy, Dempsey has kept busy with a lot of exciting roles in a variety of projects. Following his departure from Grey’s Anatomy, Dempsey returned to another one of his most famous roles, playing Robert Philip in the Disney sequel Disenchanted alongside Amy Adams.
Dempsey played another love interest character, appearing in the sequel Bridget Jones’s Baby as Jack Qwant alongside Oscar winners Renée Zellweger and Colin Firth. Most recently, he got to show off his horror movie skills, playing Sheriff Eric Newlon in Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving. He also starred as real-life race car driver Piero Taruffi in Michael Mann’s drama Ferrari.
The role in Ferrari is also tied to another passion of Dempsey’s that is outside of the acting world. Dempsey has developed his interest in car racing into a second career with him competing as part of his own racing team, Dempsey Racing-Proton team. He has competed in several prestigious races, including the 24-Hours of Le Mans. When speaking about his draw to racing, Dempsey shared (via Porche-Newsroom):
“Not much changes in my TV work, but everything changes constantly in motor racing – every lap, every bend and every moment.”