McDRASTIC PATRICK DEMPSEY GETS TOUGH IN TRANSFORMERS

“I can be the kick-ass action guy,” says Patrick Dempsey,who set millions of heartbeats racing,when he was cast as Dr Derek Shepherd,aka Dr McDreamy,on Grey’s Anatomy in 2005. “Let’s face it,Grey’s Anatomy is a very female show—and I love it,but that’s not all I am. I can be a macho guy. I can fight robots. I can drive fast.”

That’s why Dempsey signed on for Transformers: Dark of the Moon,the third in Michael Bay’s highly successful series based on the 1980s toy line of adaptable robots.

“This is my masculine moment,” the 45-year-old actor says,“and it’s the most fun I’ve ever had on a movie.” Dark of the Moon finds the noble Autobots and the evil Decepticons racing to retrieve a Cybertronian spacecraft which has been hidden on the Moon for ages. Series stars Shia LaBeouf,Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson return,with Dempsey joining fellow newcomers Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Ken Jeong.

“I play an investment banker,” Dempsey says. “Shia’s girlfriend works for me. My character thrives on making the two of them feel uncomfortable. Dempsey’s hobby is racing sports cars,which is how he met Bay and ended up in Dark of the Moon. “I ran into him at a Ferrari event,” the actor recalls. “I was really excited by the possibilities,” Dempsey says,“The next thing I knew,I was in Chicago.” He was eager to join the Transformers universe,he adds.

“I’ve seen a little bit of the finished movie,” Dempsey says,“and it’s really action-packed,but it has character development. That’s what I feel has to be strong,even when you’re running from robots.” Dempsey has savoured the difference between the movie and his day job on Grey’s Anatomy. “It was quite amazing to stand there and pretend that you’re looking and talking to Autobots and Decepticons,” he says.

The actor used to play robot games,he recalls,while growing up as the youngest of three kids. Academically challenged due to dyslexia,he dropped out of high school. Dempsey was also drawn to performing from an early age. At 17 he was touring the San Francisco area in Torch Song Trilogy. He made his film debut as a Catholic-school hunk in the 1960s comedy Heaven Help Us (1985). Suddenly Dempsey was on bedroom walls all over America and starring in a series of teen comedies and romances such as Meatballs III: Summer Job (1987).

When he graduated to more adult roles,however,the transition proved bumpy. Mobsters (1991) and J.F.K.: Reckless Youth (1993),in which he played future president John F. Kennedy,failed to click at the box office,Dempsey was no longer on the A-list,and as he neared 40 his career seemed on the verge of extinction.

Then came Grey’s Anatomy,and suddenly Dempsey’s long-ago fans,now adult women,realised that he was as hot as he ever was. The show became a hit,and fans made clear that Dr McDreamy was a big reason why. Dempsey was back and found

lead roles in such films as Enchanted (2007),Made of Honor (2008) and Valentine’s Day (2010) followed. Lately there have been rumours that the 45-year-old actor would like to step away from Grey’s Anatomy to focus on his big-screen career. He insists,however,that he isn’t letting go of the source of his new success. “It’s pretty remarkable the run we’ve had with Grey’s,” Dempsey says. “I feel very fortunate to have been a part of it. Literally that show has transformed my life and my family.”

“It’s nice to take a few weeks off now before we start Season 8,” Dempsey says. “We start soon,and I’m always excited to go back. Let’s face it,in this economy it’s just nice to have a job.’’