Things are looking good for Patrick Dempsey. Newly crowned People‘s “Sexiest Man Alive” (for our younger audience, that means someone who moms find hot), the Grey’s Anatomy and Sweet Home Alabama star definitely has everything he needs to be a heartthrob, from chiseled features to his history of living life in the literal fast lane, and this blatant charisma shines through on screen. If you want to see his best performances, or just gawp at him for a few hours at a time, then check out our list of the 10 best Patrick Dempsey movies and TV shows!
Grey’s Anatomy
This medical drama series has its fair share of attractive cast members, and continues to rake in the rating figures and accolades despite its insanely long run (it’s ABC’s longest running primetime TV show). In its many years of being on television it made stars of a number of its cast, including Sandra Oh and Ellen Pompeo. Dempsey played the role of attending physician Derek Sherpherd for the first 11 seasons of the medical drama, and had his fair share of intriguing storylines before he was knocked off. Definitely Dempsey’s most prominent role, and it’s hard to argue against it also being his best. It also earned him the nickname “McDreamy,” which has clearly stuck.
Enchanted
This brilliant spoof of the classic princess fairytale is probably Dempsey’s most memorable film role, and there’s no doubt he knocks it out of the park as a reluctant prince charming character. He plays a lawyer who ends up connecting with a princess who’s been transported into the real world (Amy Adams), and is excellent in the role. His performance is helped by the fact that this is a smart, funny, and well written script, buoyed by other excellent acting from his co-stars. A wonderful watch that is both full of heart and manages to poke fun at a number of famous Disney-like tropes. A sequel is in the works too, which is exciting news for fans.
Bridget Jones’s Baby
The third installment of the much loved Bridget Jones franchise saw Dempsey take on the role of a kind mathematician who is in the running to be the father of the eponymous child. Most franchises tend to have a dip in quality after a while, especially in the third film, but this movie retains all the charm of the first and has some seriously hilarious scenes, as well as the usual heartwarming ending that is guaranteed to leave you with tears in your eyes. Dempsey is wonderfully warm in the role, bringing a lot of heart to a film that’s mostly about feeling good.
Freedom Writers
Dempsey showed off his serious side in this 2007 drama film about a dedicated teacher who sets out to fix the racial divides in her classroom. This is definitely the sort of film that will tug at the heart strings, but equally should leave viewers feeling a little more positive about the world, and the things they can do to change it. Dempsey’s character is one of the less inspirational ones, taking on the role of the teacher’s husband, a man who is upset at her spending so much time trying to reach the kids under her. It might be a bit “white savior,” but it’s pretty well made.
Scream 3
The third installment of Wes Craven’s iconic slasher franchise continues the tradition of blending satire and gore. It follows Sidney (Neve Campbell) as she is once again stalked by someone in a Ghostface costume, and works as both a jump-scare film and a cheeky little whodunnit. Dempsey takes on the role of Mark Kincaid, the detective who is assigned to the Ghostface case in the film, and is an engaging presence when he’s on screen.
Sweet Home Alabama
This romcom might be a little silly, and is nowhere near as critically acclaimed as some of Dempsey’s other films and shows, but it definitely hits the spot if you’re looking for something easy and funny. Plus, it raked it in at the box office, and what do critics know anyway? The story follows a woman from the Deep South (Reese Witherspoon) who has reinvented herself as a fancy New Yorker, but has to return home to get a divorce from her childhood sweetheart so she can marry the wealthy Andrew (Dempsey). Witherspoon’s charm carries this film, but she’s helped by a solid Dempsey performance.
Can’t Buy Me Love
Maddeningly, the ridiculously hot Dempsey plays a “nerd” in this eighties teen romcom about a boy who hires a popular cheerleader to be his girlfriend for a month, in the hope of boosting his popularity. Dempsey does well with a limited script, and despite some strange directional and plot choices, manages to add a bit of charm to a movie that had so much more potential than it showed. He even snagged a couple of awards for his performance.
Ferrari
Considering his love of racing, it’s no surprise that Dempsey snagged a role in this much anticipated sports biopic about Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the famous car brand. All the action takes place during 1957, one of the most tumultuous years of the mechanic and businessman’s life. Dempsey plays the role of Piero Taruffi, the legendary Italian racing driver, who won the 1957 Mille Miglia in a Ferrari, thus reviving Enzo’s career and failing brand. He’s truly magnetic during his screen time, and plays the important part well.
Flypaper
This comedy crime caper isn’t exactly going down in history as a cultural treasure, but Flypaper is an entertaining little romp with a great Dempsey performance in it, so we’re putting it on the list anyway. He takes on the lead role of Tripp, a bank customer who accidentally gets caught up in a massive robbery. However, he soon deduces that everything might not be as it seems, and sets out on finding out the truth while trying to avoid getting shot by the money-hungry criminals surrounding him. Convoluted and silly, but a laugh nonetheless.
Made of Honor
Critics might dislike this romcom, but audiences love it, and Dempsey manages to bring heart to his role as a playboy who realizes he loves his best friend when she suddenly becomes engaged. As the wedding inches closer, he battles with his feelings, before the pair eventually (shock) end up together. There’s lots of great shots of Scottish scenery in this movie, as well as a few laughs, but don’t expect it to change your life.
