Patrick Dempsey voted People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive 2023

It's the first time the actor has taken home the title.

Patrick Dempsey has been named People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive for 2023.

The 57-year-old is best known for playing Derek 'McDreamy' Shepard in the medical drama series Grey's Anatomy between 2005 to 2021.

He also starred in the Oscar-nominated Disney movie Enchanted and its sequel Disenchanted and has had roles in the films Bridget Jones's Baby, Freedom Writers, Outbreak, Scream 3 and Sweet Home Alabama.

Dempsey takes over from Marvel star Chris Evans who snatched the title of Sexiest Man Alive for 2022.

“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,” the actor told People for the cover story.

When asked how he reacted when he learned of the news, the actor quipped: “I was completely shocked, and then I started laughing, like, this is a joke, right? I’ve always been the bridesmaid!”

Dempsey is in good company as Pedro Pascal, Timothée Chalamet, Usher, Jamie Foxx, Lenny Kravitz and Philadelphia Eagles’ star centre Jason Kelce were name-dropped in the list of sexiest men.

The Enchanted star is married to makeup artist and beauty line founder Jillian Fink, and is most interested in how his children, Talula, 21, and 16-year-old twins Sullivan and Darby, will react to his new title.

“They’re just going to make fun of me and pick on me and figure out every reason why I shouldn’t be,” he said. “Which is good, they keep me young.”

If one magazine cover isn’t enough for you, Dempsey will be appearing on the big screen in two movies in the coming weeks.

These are the slasher flick Thanksgiving, which will land in cinemas on 17 November, and the sports biopic Ferrari, which will be in theatres on 26 December.

Portraying Italian Formula One driver Piero Taruffi in the latter, Dempsey told People he took a risk by calling up Ferrari's director Michael Mann (Heat) to look for a part in the film.

“I’d been following the movie for years, so I called Michael,” he recalled. “That taught me if you really want something, you have to do it yourself.”