Anyone with a taste for Shonda Rhimes knows him best as McDreamy, but Patrick Dempsey is much more than his time on Grey’s Anatomy.
He was one of the biggest draws behind the series during his time on it, however, and his role as Doctor Derek Shepherd helped cement Dempsey as a leading man. His grasp of romance, in particular, is a major draw behind the 57-year-old star, a fact that’s written across his resume. Some of his most popular projects are rom-com classics, with favorites like Made of Honor, Sweet Home Alabama, and the Enchanted films cropping up in frequent annual rewatches. He’s even dipped his toes into horror a few times over the years, with the upcoming Thanksgiving serving as a long-overdue return more than two decades after he appeared in Scream 3.
Then there’s Dempsey’s career as an auto racer. He’s maintained and collected sports and vintage vehicles for years now, and in the early 2010s he started to establish himself as a racer to watch. What was once considered a hobby is now a permanent fixture in Dempsey’s life, and has seen him compete in a range of high profile races. He’s even placed in a few, including 2006’s Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race and, more recently, the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Dempsey’s talent reaches far beyond the screen, but it’s largely his work in acting that the star has to thank for his current prominence — and his current freedom. Money makes for a far more carefree live, and Dempsey is absolutely rolling in it.
Patrick Dempsey’s net worth, explained
Grey’s Anatomy alone was enough to make Dempsey a millionaire, with later seasons of the series paying him a whopping $350,000 per episode. That totaled out to around $8 million a season, and served as a huge financial cushion for Dempsey in the years after he departed the ABC favorite.
Those $8 million annual payouts make up the bulk of Dempsey’s $85 million net worth, according to Celebrity Net Worth, but not all of it. After all, the star had a hefty career long before he met Rhimes, starring in a range of hugely successful romantic comedies, dramas, and even those rare horror flicks. He’d already proven himself to be a heartthrob ahead of the soapy show, which was exactly why he caught Rhimes’ eye.
Dempsey isn’t likely to be in any more Grey’s Anatomy-esque projects in the future, so long as his current wealth holds up. With $85 million in the bank, money certainly isn’t a problem for the star, which frees him up to spend more time on his passions — his family, his cars, and his racing.