Widely identified as Dr. McDreamy from Grey’s Anatomy, Patrick Dempsey is an American actor and race car driver. He starred on the show, Grey’s Anatomy and has since gained accolades for his work. However, we are a bit curious about his acting background because we want to know if it’s backed by a degree.
Patrick Dempsey didn’t go to college. He dropped out of high school.
Here’s a rundown on Patrick Dempsey’s educational background.
Why did Patrick Dempsey drop out of school?
Patrick Dempsey had always been adventurous and didn’t hesitate to show off that trait in his movie roles. The actor exhibited these traits from his adolescent stage which made him drop out of high school.
After he dropped out of school, he started to pursue a career in juggling, unicycling, and racing.
Patrick grew up in Maine but always had dreams of leaving the town and going after a larger fortune. He discovered his passion for entertainment when he was young and looked forward to becoming a star.
When he was still a teenager, Patrick was an excellent skier. He even came in first during tournaments and had big dreams of using that as an opportunity to leave the small Maine town. However, he lost his chances of fulfilling that dream because he suffered from a spine injury.
Additionally, he was dyslexic so he had issues with focusing in school which also made him have poor grades.
It must have been discouraging for the actor but he got another opportunity to leave the Maine town. He learned how to juggle in high school to pass time and the skill eventually made a way for him.
Patrick Dempsey got to Ohio with his juggling abilities and came in second in an international juggling competition.
In essence, Patrick dropped out of school to escape from his small town and it paid off as he became a popular and widely admired actor.
What school did Patrick Dempsey attend?
Patrick Dempsey didn’t attend college at any point. He was also dyslexic which made it difficult for him to read. As he started acting, he had to cram his scripts most of the time.
Anyway, Patrick Dempsey had to sift between at least four different high schools before dropping out. The first school he attended was Leavitt Area High School. Then he went on to attend Willowridge High School, Saint Dominic Academy, and finally, Buckfield Junior-Senior High School.
However, the actor received an honorary degree from Bowdoin College in 2013 for his support of cancer research. Additionally, his character in Grey’s Anatomy attended Bowdoin College so it was amazing that he would get recognized by them.
So, despite not being able to graduate from high school, the actor got a diploma and honorary degree which came as a result of pursuing his dreams.
How did Patrick Dempsey become popular?
Patrick Dempsey is widely known for his role as Dr. Derek, a neurosurgeon on Grey’s Anatomy. But before landing that role, he had already built a successful career for himself as a leading man in various romcoms.
He has acted in many movies including Can’t Buy Me Love and Loverboy. Additionally, he had minor roles in movies like Outbreak and other television series. Patrick Dempsey also proved to be a multifaceted talent by switching from the typical loverboy role to playing a detective in Scream 3.
Patrick Dempsey got his breakthrough leading role in the movie, Sweet Home Alabama which was released in 2007. To everybody’s shock, the movie became a box office hit. The movie received a lot of critical reviews but raked in over $150 million profit after its release.
Other big-name movie titles that Patrick was part of include: Bridget Jones’ Baby with Renee Zellweger and Colin Firth; Disney’s Enchanted with Aimee Adams; and Transformers: Dark of the Moon with Shia LeBeouf.
What is Patrick Dempsey’s net worth?
Patrick Dempsey was worth $85 million in 2021. The actor made most of his money from acting, alongside his endorsements.
The actor was an ambassador for Porsche design eyewear in 2021. He already had a successful racing career which made him perfect for the deal. His hobby landed him a deal with Porsche which cost millions of dollars.
Furthermore, he made $350,000 per episode of any series he appeared in around 2021. He is part of another series titled Devils, which started in 2020.
He also stars in an upcoming Disney movie, Disenchanted, (with Aimee Adams) which is a sequel to Enchanted. Set ten years after the first movie, the sequel finds the lead character Giselle questioning her happiness…and adventure ensues.