* From the early age of 7 Patrick took dance classes. His dance skills were later featured in some of his movie roles.
* In his teenage years Patrick was a keen juggler & was placed 3rd in his age group at a national jugglers competition.
* Patrick attended Buckfield High School & at age 15 developed his own vaudeville act & toured New England.
* He overcame Dyslexia which he claims has helped him develop strength in his personality.
* In 1981 he won a Talent America Contest. It now became clear that he was destined for stardom.
* Patrick got his first big break in the 1985 comedy "Heaven Help Us" alongside fellow teen actor Andrew McCarthy.
* Patrick was 21 years old when he got married. His wife was 48 years old at the time.
* In 1987 he starred in the film "The Woo Woo Kid" (also known as "In The Mood") where he played real life womaniser Sonny Wisecarver. This film won him critical acclaim.
* In his next role Patrick played the nerdy teenager Ronald Miller in the 1987 teen classic "Can't Buy Me Love". This film won him many female fans & became a favourite world-wide.
* In the 1989 film "Loverboy" Patrick plays a likeable pizza delivery boy who finds himself very popular with his female clientele.
* In 1990 he starred in the very funny road film "Coupe De Ville" opposite Daniel Stern.
* Patrick showed a flair for drama in 1991 when he took on the role of a young Meyer Lansky in "Mobsters".
* Patrick divorced his first wife Rocky Parker in the mid 90's.
* In 1993 he won acclaim in the title role of the mini-series "JFK: Reckless Youth".
* In 1997 he starred in the TV mini-series "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" a remake of the Walt Disney classic.
* In July 1999 Patrick married make up artist Jillian Fink.
* In 2000 Patrick Dempsey played a support role as detective Mark Kincaid in the very popular teen slasher flick "Scream 3".
* These days Patrick is still active, appearing in many independent films & doing stage work.
* In 2002 Patrick Dempsey will star opposite Reese Witherspoon in the Romantic Comedy "Sweet Home Alabama".
Patrick Dempsey Detailed Biography
Noted for playing quirky and charmingly shy young men, contemporary American actor Patrick Dempsey became a rising star in Hollywood during the late '80s and '90s. A state downhill skiing champion in high school, Patrick Dempsey began performing nonprofessionally as a juggler, magician, and puppeteer. In 1981, the multi-talented youth placed second at the 1981 International Jugglers Competition, leading to a stage career in which he worked with different troupes around the U.S. Dempsey made his feature film debut playing a bit part in Heaven Help Us (1985).
This led to his being cast as a regular on the short-lived TV series Fast Times the following year (based upon the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High). Dempsey then returned to feature films, where he worked steadily for several years. Although primarily a comic actor, he showed considerable talent for drama in the 1991 film Mobsters, and later received an Emmy nomination for his performance as Sela Ward's schizophrenic brother on ABC's Once and Again in 2001. Returning to his comedy roots, he starred as Reese Witherspoon's big city fiancé in 2002's Sweet Home Alabama.
