Patrick Dempsey Happy with Character Development

Recently on Grey's Anatomy, Patrick Dempsey's Derek locked lips with Nurse Rose (Lauren Stamile). While this means more trouble for Derek and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) - who one of our readers points out has been together with him in only 18 of 71 episodes - Dempsey is actually happy about the development.

The hit medical series' leading man said in a recent interview that he is feeling more "encouraged" that someone new has come into to his character's life.

"It will certainly make the story lines more interesting and compelling," Dempsey told the New York Post. "Last season was boring to do. Enough is enough already. It's time for the writers to go back and take a look at things and find some new paths for some of these characters. It was too repetitive for me."

Having a Drink

That said, Patrick Dempsey admits that he is not necessarily very hopeful about what will happen between the on-again, off-again Derek and Meredith in the near future.

"You would think that [Derek and Meredith] would work through their difficulties and move forward. Meredith needs to get healthy. That's an interesting thing to explore with her character. Does he stand by her while she goes through that? Or do they work through their problems alone," Patrick Dempsey posed.

"[Grey's Anatomy creator / executive producer] Shonda Rhimes is very clear on what she wants to do but not clear on what the actors are going to do."

As of right now, production on Grey's Anatomy remains shut down as the WGA strike continues. Although Dempsey and the rest of the show's cast and crew are out or work, he is still riding high career-wise, with the success of his film Enchanted.

"I always knew that if it worked, it would be huge," Dempsey said. "But you take a risk with these things. It's been interesting because everyone likes this movie - men, kids, moms. The movie touches the child in everyone, while dispelling the whole idea that if you find that one right person you are going to live happily ever after."

People's 2007 Star of the Year will also appear in the upcoming romantic comedy Made of Honor, due to hit theaters in May 2008. Although his movie career seems to be taking off once more, Dempsey isn't about to leave Grey's Anatomy just yet.

"The opportunities that the cast is getting are certainly because of the show's huge success," he said. "As long as [Grey's Anatomy] continues, we will stay with it."



18 Comments

  1. Kathy Says:

    Well, this is basically telling us what we already knew. Patrick is tired of the on again/ off again thing with Meredith. As well as everybody else. PUT THEM TOGETHER ALREADY SHONDA!! I'm one of the biggest Mer/Der fans around, but its TIME for something to happen with Meredith and Derek. Like Patrick says, the writers need to go back and take a look at things. They need to look back at all the characters in season 1 and 2. Get back to the basics with these characters. Yeah, they have grown and changed alot over the last 3 seasons, but there is still so much to be told of each character. Der/Mer have been through so much together, let them finally be together and work things out together. Let us finally see what we have waited to see for 3 seasons. If they break them up and they truly go their separate ways with other people, it doesn't seem to me that it could ever go back to the way it used to be with these two characters. We know the "Rose" character was brought in to get Meredith moving in the right direction, but how much further will they take it? Again, I truly hope Shonda thinks good and hard about this if she does break Mer/Der up. We all need our fairytale ending and that would be to keep Mer/Der together!
    I know I have read that Patrick would love for Meredith and Derek to get married, but like he says, its time for something to happen with these two and I'm hoping Shonda will NOT let us down!

  2. die rose. derekisformeredith Says:

    couldn't have said it better myself, kathy! =]

  3. die rose. derekisformeredith Says:

    and i must say... he looks rather hot in the picture above...

  4. xxxgreydaysxxx Says:

    Go Kathy! Lmao. You totally said everything that was running through my mind. Honestly, if Patrick, half of the Mer/Der relationship, was getting tired of this nonesense, then why the hell is it still going on?? It's good to know that he's happy that Derek is moving on (that's not to say that I think he should be with Rose). I just really think that Shonda needs to get Meredith moving in the right direction, and, like you said, Kathy, look back on what the characters were like a couple seasons ago. Meredith doesn't need to be the way she is right now. The 'drama' that Shonda was creating with depressed & dark & twisty Meredith used to be interesting. Key words there: 'used to be'. Like others have said, it's getting old. And it needs to stop. Seriously. (Oh, and, in the mean time, Shonda, can we get rid of Rose, pretty please with a cherry on top?)

  5. xxxgreydaysxxx Says:

    And yes, derekisformeredith, he is rather hot there. Haha.

  6. Loyal fan Says:

    Rose isn't something new. It's another boring triangle. She won't help Meredith because Derek chooses another woman over her. And Derek will be frustrated again because he chose wrong again.

  7. IrishEyes Says:

    I'm tired of being negative about Meredith and Derek so i'm staying positive. Obviously PD has to have been tired of the crap that was season three and the on off relationship of mer and der. If we're frustrated watching it then poor him! We all know that PD wants them to marry he's just tired of the back and forth. And i also don't think he sounds too impressed with all the developments. 'Meredith needs to get healthy... does he stand by her?'. Maybe he'd prefer if they sorted out their issues together. And maybe this Rose will be a good distraction for him. Because that's all she is, keep remembering that. A distraction.

  8. ex fan Says:

    Another distraction? Another woman again? They should talk. They should resolve their issues together. Rose is a bad "thing".

  9. Sam123 Says:

    Kathy said it head on!

  10. allaboutsloan Says:

    Love Patrick even more than I already did. I agree with him and the frustrations he has with his character's development and the whole on again-off again!

  11. Betty Says:

    I'v been reading what everyone said. I think Meredith and Derek make up the best couple on the show. However, in real life if some guy (I'm married 24 years) who I was in love with told me he didn't want to be with me anymore, I would have no recourse but to move on and find someone who would love me. That's what's happening. He wants marriage. She doesn't. He has to move on. It's the way the character is written. He can't pine forever for someone who doesn't want him. For the sake of the show, Derek surprise her with a diamond and let's see her change her mind! Diamonds are a girls best friend! Let's have a wedding and live happily ever after! The fans love them together!

  12. greyslover Says:

    Well seems like everyone is already frustrated about the on-off Merder thing. Reading Patrick's words, it seems like they won't be together anymore, so I suppose that, now they break up, it'll be forever , she won't let them hook up again in 2 or 3 episodes, right :(?
    I was also getting frustrated about the merder thing, but they belong together!

  13. hafsa Says:

    honestly, i dont know what to think anymore, so its better not to say anything at all. I am not that into greys like before, for some reasons, i dont get excited about it anymore, however i am a fan already, so i will continue to watch, see what will happen to the characters individually.

  14. ex fan Says:

    "He can't pine forever for someone who doesn't want him. "

    Are you watching GA or another show?


    "Derek surprise her with a diamond and let's see her change her mind! Diamonds are a girls best friend!"

    What? Meredith isn't Addison.

    Sorry but your post is superficial and absurd.

  15. Marissa Says:

    it's so sad watching grey's becoming a cheap soap-opera episode...it was so promising. keeping mer and der apart cause that's the only way to make it interesting, it's just a silly point. how interesting would be to watch them overcoming mer's issues together, for example see derek wash away with mer her mom's ashes instead of the chief? breaking them up is not the only way to go for the writers, it's just the easy way, keeping fans pined for seeing a reunion, like they can't keep us pined by other storylines

  16. carol Says:

    it's just stupid! mer has no actual reason not commiting with derek, didn't she have daddy issues in season 2 when all she'd do was pining 4 him?
    and derek has no actual reason being so oppressive, he couldn't wait 4 the love of his life more than a week?
    it's not convincing, all i see is bored writers using soap operas' technics

  17. greyslover Says:

    I'm also not as excited about grey's as I was before. It's so nice to watch season 1, 2, some epi's of 3, that was great. But season 4? I think it's as 'bad' or even worse then season 3. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a fan but it's such a pity. It's like they don't have any inspiration anymore for a good storyline. In that case, it's better to stop at a highlight then going on with grey's until no one's watching anymore..

    Btw, the last episode is in my country (belgium) also on 10th january. And as it's hours later here then in the US, it means that I will see the last epi earlier then you guys, right:p?

  18. mc'anti-rose Says:

    i agree with ALL OF YOU!! greys is becomin like a weekly torture...cuz every episode brings with it another round of mer-der problems!
    pleeez..instead of the new ross/rachel.....cant u make them the new monica/chandler?? keeop the relationship steady and the chemistry alivE?!?!pleeezzzz..pput US OUT OF OUR MISERY!!


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