Patrick Dempsey Says He Had 'An Immediate Connection' With Ellen Pompeo.

One of our favorite onscreen doctors, Patrick Dempsey, opens up to Manhattan magazine's October 2014 issue about auditioning for Grey's Anatomy and his Center for Cancer Hope & Healing.  

The 48-year-old actor is known my most for his role as neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Sheperd on ABC's hit show Grey's Anatomy. He explains to the magazine how he had an instant connection with co-star Ellen Pompeo.

"At first I thought [Shonda Rhimes] hated me, but she was calculating in her head where to put me and what I'd be right for," He said. They liked me, but they wanted me to do a chemistry read with [Pompeo]. I had an immediate connection with her because she has a Boston accent, and I'm from Maine, so that disarmed me."

Believe it or not, Dempsey also auditioned for the role of Dr. Gregory House on the popular show House, which eventually starred actor Hugh Laurie.

The Wonder Tonight star isn't only the "All American Man" on the small and big screen, but also in reality. Dempsey has been devoted to his Center for Cancer Hope & Healing. "My experience ... is that the doctors have such a huge workload; they're trying to do everything that they can; the nurses are so vitally important as well," he explains. "There is a real void, and that's how the center came about, [with the] thinking: How do we help those people? The human touch is so healing, and when people come into the center, they're greeted usually by cancer survivors themselves who already know what's going on and are compassionate. I think that's really important, and sometimes you don't get that."