American actor and racecar driver Patrick Dempsey has been named “Sexiest Man Alive” for 2023 by People Magazine. He is 57.

“I’ve been the bridesmaid for People’s Sexiest Man Alive ten times. Now, I get the big picture and not the little picture that’s on the side,” Dempsey joked, adding that he’s grateful that he received the title at this stage in his life.

“It’s nice to have the recognition, and certainly my ego takes a little bump, but it gives me the platform to use it for something positive,” he added.

In the 7 November episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Dempsey he talked about his family’s reaction to the title and his preparations for the photo shoot.

“They laughed quite hard,” Dempsey told Kimmel. The actor revealed he worked out and fasted for a month in preparation for the magazine’s photo shoot.

He also talked about his cancer foundation, the Dempsey Center, which he founded in honor of his late mother.

“The Dempsey Center is a place where we take care of people who have been impacted by cancer. We don’t treat the disease; we treat the person holistically… So if a person has been diagnosed, we try to support them in any way possible,” he said, adding that he would sometimes do surprise visits wearing scrubs — a reference to his popular role in the TV series Grey’s Anatomy.

Dempsey is widely recognized by swooning global audiences as Dr. Derek Shepherd in the hit medical drama. He’s been called “McDreamy” for playing the hot and charming neurosurgeon for 11 seasons or over 200 episodes.

Apart from Grey’s Anatomy, Dempsey also starred in popular romantic comedy movies such as Can’t Buy Me Love (1987), Loverboy (1989), Sweet Home Alabama (2002), Enchanted (2007), Valentine’s Day (2010) and Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016).

He is set to appear in the biographical sports film Ferrari, which follows the life of Enzo Ferrari, the motor racing driver and founder of the car manufacturer Ferrari. The film is slated for a December release.

Dempsey races in his free time. Over the years, he has maintained a sports car and a vintage car collection.

Married to make-up artist Jillian Dempsey, he has three children: Talula (21) and twins Sullivan and Darby (16).

People Magazine started the “Sexiest Man Alive” franchise in 1985, recognizing “very handsome, talented, and charitable men” through the years. Previous titleholders include Chris Evans, Paul Rudd, Michael B. Jordan, John Legend, Idris Elba, Blake Shelton, Dwayne Johnson, David Beckham and more.