Moviefone Editorial

Tag: patrick-dempsey

  • Ellen Pompeo Grateful Her Candid ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Report Was ‘Taken in the Right Way’

    Ellen Pompeo was worried about some of the things she said. (You probably know what things.)

    The “Grey’s Anatomy” star gave an interview last month to The Hollywood Reporter titled “Ellen Pompeo, TV’s $20 Million Woman, Reveals Her Behind-the-Scenes Fight for ‘What I Deserve.’” She detailed her career up till “Grey’s Anatomy,” and her massive new deal with the show. It’s a lengthy candid interview sharing the nuts-and-bolts — and warts — of the business, with Pompeo ultimately understanding her worth.

    Pompeo (Meredith Grey) also shared some stories about trying and failing to get “Grey’s” costar Patrick Dempsey (Derek Shepherd) to negotiate with her on pay. She also revealed her surprise at how quickly the network “felt like they had to get a penis in there” after Dempsey left, bringing in Martin Henderson as Nathan Riggs for that short-lived romantic storyline. Her behind-the-scenes stories were juicy, but never came across as gossipy or mean-spirited. And her request for more money came across as, well, overdue rather than arrogant.

    Readers loved her candor, and how the inspiring result of her journey made her the highest-paid actress on a TV drama.

    Pompeo talked about her “Jimmy Kimmel Live”:

    “I have quite a big mouth, and I’m honest to a fault, which in print can get you in trouble sometimes. …. I’ve gotten myself in trouble in the past, with things I’ve said. So I’m grateful it was taken in the right way.”

    Jimmy Kimmel asked if she had been nervous.

    “I was,” she quickly admitted. She called her publicists — who weren’t in the room when she gave the THR interview — to make sure the things she said were OK.

    She was glad it was taken as an empowering story for women, and as a chance for her to be honest about her own faults and shortcomings.

    “Because I think that there’s a lot of blame, especially right now. People are blaming people. There’s a lot of finger pointing, but there’s less people owning up to their side of things. And I wanted to sort of do a truthful interview and talk about my road to my own empowerment and how I got there, but also mistakes I’ve made along the way.”

    Pompeo also wanted to encourage women to speak up instead of sitting back:

    “As women, you know, it’s not only about what’s done to us or what’s not given to us. It’s what don’t we ask for. You know, how much of it is [it] isn’t given to us, or is it that we don’t ask? I think that as much as we can point the finger at other people and [say], ‘You don’t give us or you don’t treat us fairly,’ We also have to point the finger at ourselves and say, ‘Did we ask? Did we step up and have the uh, gumption, to ask for what a man would?’ We have to own part of it. And sometimes we’re too shy; we’re too afraid to be seen as difficult to really speak our minds.”

    Watch her interview:For the record, here’s the section of her THR profile about Dempsey and Henderson:

    For me, Patrick [Dempsey] leaving the show [in 2015] was a defining moment, deal-wise. They could always use him as leverage against me — “We don’t need you; we have Patrick” — which they did for years. I don’t know if they also did that to him, because he and I never discussed our deals. There were many times where I reached out about joining together to negotiate, but he was never interested in that. At one point, I asked for $5,000 more than him just on principle, because the show is Grey’s Anatomy and I’m Meredith Grey. They wouldn’t give it to me. And I could have walked away, so why didn’t I? It’s my show; I’m the number one. I’m sure I felt what a lot of these other actresses feel: Why should I walk away from a great part because of a guy? You feel conflicted but then you figure, “I’m not going to let a guy drive me out of my own house.”

    So, what does it look like when he leaves the show? First, it looks like a ratings spike, and I had a nice chuckle about that. But the truth is, the ink wasn’t even dry on his exit papers before they rushed in a new guy. I was on vacation in Sicily, decompressing — it was a long working relationship and it was a tumultuous end and I needed a moment to just chill with some rosé — and they’re calling me, going, “What do you think of this guy?” “What do you think of this guy?” And they’re sending pictures. I was like, “Are you people f*cking nuts? Why do you feel that you have to replace this person?” I couldn’t believe how fast the studio and the network felt like they had to get a penis in there. We brought in Martin Henderson, but they didn’t love the storyline, so that ended.

    Read the whole THR interview.

    “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 14 continues Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

    [Via: Us Magazine]

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  • 17 Things You Never Knew About Disney’s ‘Enchanted’

    Today, “Enchanted” may feel as beloved as any other Disney fairy tale, but when it was released ten years ago this week (on November 21, 2007), the story of a cartoon princess transported to flesh-and-blood New York City was considered a risky project for Disney.

    A lavish live-action/animation blend of the sort the studio hadn’t tried for two decades, it featured an untried leading lady and a script that lampooned the princess musicals that had been the studio’s signature fare for 70 years. Fortunately, “Enchanted” became a worldwide smash, earned three Oscar nominations, and made a star out of Amy Adams.

    It’s a wonder the movie worked so well, given the long struggle to get it made. The result could have been something a lot different — less kid-friendly, and with another leading lady. Here, then, are the secrets of how the filmmakers overcame those obstacles, brought the fantasy realms of Andalasia and Manhattan together, and got all those rats and pigeons to clean Patrick Dempsey‘s apartment.
    1. It took a decade for Bill Kelly‘s screenplay to reach the screen. In part, that’s because the script was initially R-rated; in one risqué sequence, poor stranded princess Giselle gets mistaken for a stripper. Disney bought the screenplay, but planned to release it through one of its grown-up imprints, not family-friendly Walt Disney Pictures.

    2. Over the next ten years, the musical project went through numerous script doctors and four directors, including Rob Marshall (who ended up making “Chicago” for Disney’s Miramax instead), Jon Turteltaub (who wound up making Disney’s “National Treasure” movies), and Adam Shankman (who’d go on to direct “Hairspray“). Disney finally hired Kevin Lima (the co-director of its animated hit “Tarzan“) and returned the script to Kelly for one last rewrite.
    3. Among the initial casting choices for Giselle were Reese Witherspoon and Kate Hudson. Adams didn’t land the part until after her Oscar-nominated supporting performance in 2005’s “Junebug” put her on Disney’s radar.

    4. Since Adams was a non-entity at the box office, Disney sought insurance by seeking a better-known leading man to play jaded divorce lawyer Robert. Grey’s Anatomy” star Patrick “McDreamy” Dempsey.
    5. Future “Frozen” princess Idina Menzel got to play Robert’s fiancée, Nancy. At the time, she was best known for having starred on Broadway in both “Rent” and “Wicked” — musicals whose billboards can be seen in the film’s Times Square scenes. (There’s also a billboard for “Hairspray,” the film version of which featured Marsden.) “Wicked” lyricist Stephen Schwartz wrote the songs for “Enchanted” with frequent Disney composer Alan Menken.

    6. Several actresses who starred in Disney musicals have cameos in “Enchanted.” Jodi Benson, who voiced Ariel in “The Little Mermaid,” plays Robert’s assistant Sam. (Fittingly, she shares a scene with Giselle that involves a fish tank, while “Mermaid” ballad “Part of Your World” plays in the background.) Paige O’Hara, who starred as Belle in “Beauty and the Beast,” plays a soap opera character named Angela, who shares a scene on her TV show with a character named Jerry (apparent references to “Beauty” co-stars Angela Lansbury and Jerry Orbach). Judy Kuhn, who sang for the title character in “Pocahontas,” plays Robert’s pregnant neighbor. And Mary Poppins herself, Julie Andrews, is the film’s voiceover narrator. (Giselle’s twirl on a hill in Central Park is an homage to the opening scene of Andrews’ “The Sound of Music.”)
    7. Lima has said there are thousands of Easter eggs in “Enchanted” that call back to older Disney films. Among them: The Italian restaurant where Robert and Giselle share a pizza is called “Bella Notte” (above), named after the song from the Italian restaurant scene in “Lady and the Tramp.” (And notice the Mickey Mouse silhouette made of peppers on their pie.) The troll that nearly kills Giselle wears rags made from famous Disney princess costumes and earrings made from Ariel’s shellfish bra. Nancy’s last name is Tremaine, like the wicked stepmother and stepsisters in “Cinderella.” Robert’s last name is Philip, after the prince in “Sleeping Beauty.” The Afro-puff hairdo worn by the Times Square bus driver looks like Mickey Mouse ears. And the hotel TV that Edward watches plays nothing but Disney clips.

    8. Lima has a cameo of sorts in the movie as the yipping voice of Andalasian chipmunk Pip, once he’s transported to New York and loses the ability to speak English.
    9. The Disney studio may have pioneered hand-drawn animation in feature films, but by 2007, Disney was a computer-animated shop with hardly anyone left who could create the 13 minutes of hand-drawn animation “Enchanted” required. Disney had to farm those scenes out to one of its former animators, James Baxter, who ran his own animation studio in Pasadena.

    10. Mona May, the costume designer best known for her colorful “Clueless” clothes, created the costumes for “Enchanted.” Most elaborate was Giselle’s poofy wedding dress, which included a hoop skirt that had 20 layers of petticoats. Adams said it was hard to move while wearing it because it weighed 45 pounds.
    11. During the “Happy Working Song” sequence, among the CGI cockroaches, pigeons, and rats who swarm and clean Robert’s apartment, there are some real birds and rodents. “We had a whole room full of live rats and pigeons,” Adams told Collider. “Not all of them. You can’t train them to scrub a toilet. I’ve tried. I would love if you could train animals to do the dirty work, but we did have live rats and pigeons and no cockroaches. I don’t work with cockroaches.”

    12. Lima has said the hardest sequence to film was the “That’s How You Know” number, shot in Central Park. It took 17 days, with shooting made difficult because of bad weather and overzealous Dempsey fans.
    13. Menzel was supposed to sing “Enchanted,” a duet with Marsden, but it was cut from the film.

    14. Disney had hoped to cash in on merchandising with a Giselle doll, the studio’s first to be modeled in the likeness of a real person rather than a cartoon. But then Disney’s lawyers discovered that they’d have to pay Adams to license her image for the rest of her life, so the doll was scrapped.
    15. “Enchanted” cost a reported $85 million to make. It earned back $128 million in North America and a total of $340 million worldwide.

    16. Three of the movie’s five songs were nominated for Oscars: “Happy Working Song,” “That’s How You Know,” and “So Close.”
    17. It’s taken even longer for an “Enchanted” sequel to get off the ground than it took to make the original film. As with “Enchanted,” the sequel has gone through several writers and directors. Most recently, in October 2016, Disney announced that the movie would be called “Disenchanted,” with Shankman set to direct and Adams set to return as a Giselle who’s having second thoughts after ten years of marriage. “Disenchanted” was supposed to film Summer 2017 and be released next year, but we haven’t heard much since last October’s announcement.

    Like Giselle, we may have to wait a while longer for our happily ever after.

  • Patrick Dempsey Is Returning to TV in First Role Since ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ 

    Grand Opening - Porsche Auf SyltHe’s baaaack! Dr. Derek Shepherd is still regularly name-dropped on “Grey’s Anatomy,” but Patrick Dempsey has definitely moved on. He left the ABC series in 2015, and aside from that “Red Nose Day Actually” short and a Cigna commercial, he hasn’t been on TV since. But now, TVLine reports, he’ll return to the small screen as a series regular in Epix’s 10-part series “The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair.”

    Dempsey will play Harry himself, a “literary icon” at the center of a murder mystery, when a teenage girl’s body is found on his property years after her disappearance. The adaptation of Joel Dicker’s novel co-stars Damon Wayans Jr. as a police investigator looking into the death of the teen; Nola Kellergan as Harry’s muse; Virginia Madsen as a local diner owner who knows Harry’s secrets; as well as Ben Schnetzer, Colm Feore, Josh Close, Matt Frewer, and Wayne Knight.

    Epix just announced the cast, writers, director, and producing team, so it’s still in the early stages and we don’t yet know the premiere date.

    After “Greys,” Dempsey had a big screen role in “Bridget Jones’s Baby,” and he just recently celebrated his 18th wedding anniversary with wife Jillian, which is welcome news after they almost divorced.

    Happy 18th anniversary @patrickdempsey ❤️! Through thick and thin….I love you~ wifey

    A post shared by Jillian Dempsey (@jilliandempsey) on

    Meanwhile, “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 14 will premiere Thursday, Sept. 28, with Derek’s widow Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) just starting a new relationship with Nathan Riggs (Martin Henderson), only to see him run off to reconnect with his presumed dead ex-girlfriend, Megan Hunt. Mer deserves to be able to keep at least one “person” without losing them!

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  • 5 Things You Need to Know Before You See ‘Bridget Jones’s Baby’

    Lovable klutz Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) is back.

    In “Bridget Jones’s Baby“, the British heroine is knocked up — and she doesn’t know if the father is long-time flame Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) or recent hook-up/internet dating millionaire Jack (Patrick Dempsey). What’s a girl to do?

    Here’s what you need to know about the third film in the franchise, which opens on September 16.1. Hugh Grant Is AWOL
    As his glaring absence from posters and ad campaigns might suggest, Grant’s roguish Daniel Cleaver character does not make an appearance. (Exactly why he’s missing is revealed early on in the film, but we won’t spoil that here.)

    2. It’s Really Funny
    Forget the meh 2004 second film (“Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason“). This movie — co-written by “Bridget Jones” author Helen Fielding, Emma Thompson (who costars as Bridget’s doctor). and Dan Mazer (“Borat”), delivers more genuine laughs than just about any comedy so far this year. The film centers on Bridget as she struggles with a bitchy millennial boss, pregnancy, and her two potential baby daddies.

    3. Paul Feig Almost Directed the Movie
    The “Bridesmaids” director was originally signed, but left due to the usual “creative differences.” Sharon Maguire, who directed 2001’s “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” returned to take the helm for the third film.

    4. You Don’t Need to Read the Book
    Why? Because the movie is not based on it.

    In the third Bridget Jones book, “Mad About the Boy,” published in 2013, Mark Darcy was (gasp!) killed off, leaving the now 51-year-old Bridget a widow with two children, a Twitter obsession, and a new younger man. Instead, it’s based on the columns Fielding wrote for The Independent in 2005 about being a 40-something woman trying to become a mother before it’s too late.

    5. Bridget Jones May Return
    When we talked to Zellweger, she said she’s definitely up for more Bridget Jones, likely involving her misadventures as a mother. That sound you hear is us buying our advance tix now.

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  • McDreamy, Turk, and Your Other Favorite TV Doctors Unite for Commercial

    tv doctors, mcdreamy, turk, grey's anatomy, scrubs, ER, M*A*S*H, Mash, house, patrick dempsey, donald faison, noah wylie, lisa edelstein, alan aldaThey’ve saved countless lives on television shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “ER,” “Scrubs,” “House,” and “M*A*S*H,” but how would fictional doctors like McDreamy and Turk stand up against real medical patients? Not well — and that’s why the actors behind them are teaming up to encourage fans to seek out real medical care.

    In a new ad campaign for health insurance provider Cigna meant to remind subscribers to schedule annual wellness visits, actors Alan Alda, Patrick Dempsey, Donald Faison, Noah Wyle, and Lisa Edelstein explain how they actually have no idea what they’re doing when it comes to the patients they treat on TV. Dempsey declares that he never went to college, while Faison admits he’s spooked by the sight of blood.“We are the TV doctors of America, and we’re partnering with Cigna to help save lives by getting you to a real doctor for an annual checkup,” the actors declare in the spot.

    A rep for Cigna told Ad Age that the campaign and its starry spokespeople was the company’s attempt at a “humorous way to try to attract attention.”

    Looks like they’ve succeeded. Also, we really miss seeing some of these docs in action on the small screen. Anyone up for a “Scrubs” reunion? (Though Dempsey probably wouldn’t want to play McDreamy again anytime soon.)

    [via: Ad Age]

    Photo credit: YouTube/Cigna

  • ‘Grey’s Anatomy’: Patrick Dempsey Says He Stayed Too Long

    'Bridget Jones Baby' German Premiere In Berlin“Grey’s Anatomy” fans may not have been ready to say goodbye to Patrick Dempsey when his character, Derek Shepherd (aka Dr. McDreamy), was killed off, but if you ask the actor, he should have left sooner.

    Dempsey recently opened up to People magazine about his departure, and he highlighted the toll it took on his family. Apparently, starring in the hit series took too much time away from his wife, Jillian, and their three kids: Talula, 14, and twins Darby and Sullivan, 8.

    “I’m very grateful for ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’” he told the magazine. “It’s given me the opportunity to do everything. But at the same time, there was a cost. … I think after a certain period of time, no matter how much money you make, you want control out of your own schedule.”

    He hit his limit — and even passed it. “It was time for me to move on with other things and other interests,” he said. “I probably should have moved on a couple of years earlier. I stayed a bit longer than I should have.”

    MerDer fans would probably disagree, but Dempsey did what he needed to do, possibly saving his marriage as a result; in the aftermath, he and his wife, who were separated, managed to reconcile. It doesn’t bring Derek back (RIP), but that’s a pretty good silver lining.

    [via: People]

  • New ‘Bridget Jones’s Baby’ Trailer Delivers Dueling Dads

    bridget jones's baby, bridget jones, renee zellweger, colin firth, patrick dempseyThe new trailer for “Bridget Jones’s Baby” doubles down on the dueling baby daddy drama, pitting Mark (Colin Firth) and dashing American Jack (Patrick Dempsey) against each other on the doting father-to-be front.'Bridget Jones's Baby' (2016) Trailer

    New footage in this clip reveals that Bridget’s (Renee Zellweger) hot-and-heavy tryst with Jack occurs only days before she falls back into bed with her ex. That wonky timeline makes it impossible for Bridget and her OBGYN (Emma Thompson) to determine exactly when Ms. Jones conceived, and sets up the main plot of the film: Mark and Jack competitively vying for Bridget’s affections while the men attend doctor appointments, birthing classes, and eventually team up to carry her to the hospital to deliver. (Why they couldn’t have just called an ambulance or a cab, we may never know, but that’s a question best reserved for a non-rom-com.)

    In the midst of trying to sort out all those baby daddy issues, Bridget also has to decide who she wants to be the father — and ultimately end up with. Will it be the exciting new man who swept her off her feet, or the familiar one she can’t let go of after all these years? Fans will have to wait for the film to deliver its answer.

    “Bridget Jones’s Baby” is due in theaters on September 16.

    Photo credit: YouTube

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  • Patrick Dempsey Opens Up on Reunion With Wife, ‘Shocking’ Fan Reaction to McDreamy Death

    Derek Shepherd may be gone from “Grey’s Anatomy,” but ‘s life is more — wait for it — McDreamy than ever.

    Dempsey just talked to the Evening Standard in some early promotion for “Bridget Jones’s Baby,” where he plays the new guy in Bridget’s love triangle. The ES noted that Dempsey’s wife Jillian Fink was with him. She had filed for divorce from him in January of last year, but their divorce proceedings have reportedly stalled. The writer asked Dempsey if they had reconciled.

    “Yeah, I think so,” he said. “You have to work at everything. And you cannot do everything. Something has to be sacrificed.” He’s sacrificing some time on the racetrack (he owns his own team) to hang out with his daughter and twin sons. The story noted that he’s assistant soccer coach for his sons’ team, he’s teaching all three kids to cook, and when he considers a project he looks for something that will set a good example. “You do think: ‘how much violence is in the script? Is it necessary violence? Is this the right step for the career? Does this change the game?’”


    To many fans, Dempsey will always be McDreamy, and he talked about the fan reaction to the character’s death last year.

    “They’re still upset I’m not there. It’s shocking, sometimes, what people say. I don’t know if it’s just the nature of television, or being able to watch something so close on your iPhone or your iPad, that the intimacy or relationship with that character makes them more like a family member… or a lover.” He said some of the things fans send are explicit. “That’s the thing that’s either good or bad about social media. You don’t know who’s sending it. They can hide behind whatever name you come up with, and those things can either be empowering or dangerous.”

    It’s a really interesting interview, you should check out the whole thing.

    Ellen Pompeo (Meredith Grey) also recently revisited the fan outcry, after Entertainment Weekly noted that more than 100,000 fans had signed a petition calling for “Grey’s” to bring back Derek, or even boycott the show:

    “Nobody wanted to lose Patrick — everybody knew how valuable he was to the show. It wasn’t a choice that we had. We both signed a two-year contract to renew, so it was a situation that came up very abruptly and nobody expected it to happen. What upset me was how Shonda [Rhimes] was attacked. The stuff about me being hurt by the fans saying that they weren’t going to watch anymore if he wasn’t part of the show didn’t feel good, but I understood it. I understood their anger. We were sad to lose him, too, but what really disappointed me was the way that people attacked Shonda as if she had some choice. She’s explained why the character has to end that way, because if the character rides off into the sunset on a white horse, why would he ever leave Meredith? Then that love story is ruined. If he were just to walk away gracefully, he’s no longer the knight in shining armor. And fans are always going to want him to come back, so I was just disappointed in the hate that Shonda got. I felt pretty protective of her in that moment and I was pretty disappointed that she got the blame for something that really wasn’t her fault at all.”

    At least now everyone has moved on, and hopefully in a more positive direction. You can watch Dempsey in “Bridget Jones’s Baby” this September.

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  • 9 Reasons We’ll Always Miss McDreamy on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’

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    Derek Shepherd (Grey’s Anatomy.” We went through a lot together! But, thanks to a horrifying car accident, a shoddy surgeon, and the will of Shonda Rhimes, he was ripped away from us forever.

    These are the nine reasons we’ll never let him go. We’ll never forget you, McDreamy!

  • Here’s Why Bridget Jones Is So Much Thinner in ‘Baby’

    Renée Zellweger can never seem to find the Goldilocks zone when it comes to her looks, at least to the general public. When she was first cast in “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” she was considered too thin to play Helen Fielding’s (also British) character. In the sequel, there was talk that maybe she had gained too much weight. In the past year or so, there’s been a lot of chatter about the actress’s face not quite looking the same. And now the cast of “Bridget Jones’s Baby” is on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, with a story explaining why Renee’s Bridget is so skinny in the new movie, which comes out September 16, 2016.

    Here’s what director Sharon Maguire told Entertainment Weekly:

    We all really loved the notion that Bridget, 15 years on, had finally reached her ideal weight … somewhere between a UK size 10 or 12 … but still hadn’t solved any of her issues about love and loneliness. I think that one of the reasons the first film worked was not just because of the comedy but because people identified with Bridget’s fear of loneliness. It’s a universal fear. It’s still a prominent theme in the character’s journey even in the third film, and an integral point of access for the audience to empathize with Bridget.”

    Having Bridget be a little bit heavier was also a way for people to identify with her, since most of us are closer to Old School Bridg than New School. But having her finally reach her goal weight right before gaining pregnancy weight offers its own comedic potential. Plus, if Bridget is still Bridget, fans should still love her at any size.

    EW explained that, in this round, Bridget is a successful producer of a serious news program when she discovers she’s pregnant. However, she doesn’t know if the father is her off-and-on again lover Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) or newbie Jack Qwant (Patrick Dempsey). It’s kind of sad to think that Bridget and Mark are still off-and-on … but at least he’s not dead in this version. If they pull a Maury with the paternity test, we’re gonna have to root for Team Mark.

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