“I didn’t realize I was the first brand ambassador. That was news to me,” Patrick Dempsey told The Hollywood Reporter during an interview about that new gig as the face for Porsche Design eyewear. While he may have been surprised by the milestone, it’s not a shock considering the 55-year-old’s long-standing relationship with Porsche as one of the brand’s veteran drivers, a co-owner of a racing team and as someone who has stood on the podium hoisting a trophy at the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
He jokes that he’s taking full advantage of his new status, however. “When someone comes up to me and says, ‘I love your glasses,’ I can just give them to people. It’s the greatest,” he says. “That’s what it means to be an ambassador, you’re bringing your heart and your soul and your passion into sharing it. It’s an honor.” Following a global virtual launch event, Dempsey spoke with THR about his favorite pair from the new Porsche Design collection, how it felt to return to Grey’s Anatomy last fall and what he’s learned about himself during the pandemic.
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Porsche Design Group CEO Jan Becker said it was your personality and your lifestyle that made this partnership work. How would you describe your personality and lifestyle?
I really love the [Porsche] lifestyle. It’s the aspiration of what they are putting out there. I’ve always loved it since I was a little kid. A lot of positive accomplishments have come through my collaboration and efforts with Porsche, like racing at Le Mans and being able to do an event like that as an amateur driver. It took about 10 years to get to that goal and achieve it with their support. There was a sort of systematic approach laid out like, “OK, here are your strengths, here are your weaknesses, we’re going to work on developing your weaknesses and we’re going to do it in a good step-by-step process.” That taught me a lot about how to be a better actor, a better person and a better man.
You said you fell in love with Porsche after seeing a poster on your friend’s wall the night before a ski race. From skiing to racing to cycling — were you a daredevil straight out of the gate?
Yeah. That’s all I wanted to do as a kid, to be a ski racer. I wanted to be an Olympian. I wanted to be Ingemar Stenmark or like a Lindsey Vonn, Mikaela Shiffrin type of skier — I wanted to be at that level. But where I grew up – in a small town in Maine — it was the hotbed for the new Vaudevillian group and they recruited me and I ran off with a circus. I was never a good student. I was always struggling. My heart was always in being an athlete and being a competitor. I’ve always sort of felt slightly out of place in Hollywood, and I feel much more at home around athletes and within the racing community. That’s where I start to thrive and wake up.
What is it about Porsche that sets it above the rest?
It’s a luxury brand, but it’s also an accessible one. You can get a car or even a used one that’s relatively affordable, considering. We can all have that experience for the most part, and for me, to be able to [drive] at the highest level with them is a dream come true. I’ve dreamt about it since I was a little kid, and to be able to realize it — it’s transformative. It’s still a family-owned company. I have a relationship with Dr. [Wolfgang] Porsche. Once you’re in the family, you have to perform, you have to get results, but they help you. Once you do it, you’re in, but you have to remain committed.
It’s really been nice because Michael Fassbender is now racing and his goal is to get to Le Mans. When I saw him get involved, I was like, OK, now we passed the flint to the next person to go on that dream. And, as part of that team, it’s important that you support them. That’s the thing I learned the most is staying humble and working as a team to accomplish the goal. That really helps me in Hollywood a lot, by understanding that mentality and bringing that kind of ethic and approach to filmmaking and to my work. In sense, I’ve done that. I’ve changed as a person in, I think, in a positive way that keeps me wanting to grow and change.
What sparked that for you?
To be on the podium at Le Mans … it’s hard to put into words. I mean, I sacrificed a lot to get there. Sometimes when you have a goal, you have to sacrifice. My goal was to get on the podium, and Porsche’s belief in me and their support allowed me to achieve that goal. I remember going there, I think it was in 2008 or 2009, I had a magical feeling walking around the paddock area, and to be there with an iconic brand like Porsche, which is really made its name at Le Mans, to be able to do that was really special. It was like a Hollywood movie.
You’ve mentioned goals a couple of times, I’m curious, what is the next one? What do you still want to accomplish?
To be able to bring the quality of the Le Mans experience in front of the camera. I’ve not done that yet, where everything comes together. Whether it’s a film, as a director or [a performance] — to bring that level in Hollywood that matches the Porsche mentality for me. I hope I’m being clear on that but it’s something I was thinking about while watching the [Oscars]. Tyler Perry’s speech really moved me as well, about coming to the center. How do we come to the center and stop divisiveness? How can you find a role that brings all of that together, where it’s inspiring, it’s entertaining and it’s healing but not preachy. Something that brings people together. That’s the next thing I want to try to find. And hopefully I can find a director who’s going to believe in me and support me like Porsche has.
What did you think of the Oscars?
I have to tell you, the venue was great. I loved the venue. It gave it a sense of old Hollywood and had an intimate feel that made me flash back to the early days. There were a lot of positive messages, and I know a lot of people are going to judge it. But for me, when Tyler Perry said to come to the center, that has really stuck with me. I want to work with that man; he is an exceptional human being. I loved the story about his mother and how he urged compassion and empathy. I mean, that’s what we need in society. We have to stop judging each other on how we look, but who are we inside, and meet people there with our hearts.
You just returned from Rome filming the second season of your show Devils. How was filming amid all the COVID protocols?
The procedures over there are really great. They’re really rigorous in testing; we were tested every other day. We had people on set to make sure everyone was wearing masks. Everybody complies. It’s not political at all when it comes to masks. They don’t have the level of vaccine distribution that we do here, so we’re very fortunate. I’m going to get my vaccine tomorrow and I’m going to fly back to Europe to do the Enchanted sequel [Disenchanted]. But my experience in Rome was a really amazing experience. On that project, I play a very different character [for me], a darker character. The show addresses the abuse of capitalism, the lack of sustainability, and this year, it’s all about AI and controlling data and its information, in a fictional way. We’re also using the same format we did during season one: real, actual footage. We talk about Bitcoin, COVID, the election and all of that. We talk about the war over who is controlling data and how they’re manipulating us, how they follow us. It’s fun, educational and entertaining, hopefully. And I love working in Rome.
You were a part of spreading positive safety messages with COVID thanks to your return to Grey’s Anatomy, which was so well received. How has it felt to field all the fan reactions over the past few months?
When I reached out, Ellen and I went for a long walk asked ourselves, “How can we do something positive?” During the pandemic, you feel so helpless and everything was being politicized over mask-wearing. We just thought, well, why don’t we do something. Then [showrunner Krista Vernoff] had an idea and Ellen asked, “Would you come back?” She laid out the storyline and I just said, “Oh, that’s brilliant. I have to do that.” It was just really healing for all of us and, I think, for the fans as well. They were such a beloved couple, and people want to believe in love. They want to believe that they’re not alone in the world and that they have angels taking care of them. It was a great message. I was in Rome [when it aired] and people just went crazy — and even here too, I think it’s been very positive. That’s the great thing about entertainment: It has a healing property if we tell the right stories.
The pandemic has led so many people to shift their priorities or rededicate to things they already knew were important. What have you learned about yourself during this time?
I need less, certainly, and the most important thing is family and having loved ones around you. We need much more compassion and more people leading with their hearts. I think the problem with society is we’ve lost our compassion. People are so afraid now. So how do we take fear out of it? That’s what leadership has to bring forward — compassionate, empathetic leadership, not divisive leadership. You’ve seen where that takes us, and it’s not a healthy, sustainable place.
Back to Porsche eyewear. As best you can, what does it feel like to put on the glasses, drive your Porsche down PCH?
I had this epic journey coming home [from Rome]. It took 48 hours because of a terrible storm in Atlanta and both of my flights were canceled. There was a tornado or hurricane that came through and we had to come back because something hit the plane. I was stuck in a hotel room and I’m like, “OK, there’s a message here somewhere. This is time to decompress.” Once I finally arrived to California, I didn’t turn the news on. I just got in my car and drove [to the studio today], it was fun to look at the ocean and enjoy the car, like a quiet, rolling meditation. My eyes were burning so I put the shades on as the light was coming up and I could see things in detail. It’s like I had a different vision, in a sense. I know it all sounds kind of crazy, but it was really nice. It was calming. I was really grateful for everything that I have and that’s what I remembered — gratitude. The eyewear is so well made and there’s so much heart, thought, precision and emotion that goes into the craftsmanship.
Do you have a favorite pair?
No, but what’s so fun now is that I get to experiment and try on all of them to find the right size and fit and style. I like [the clear glasses] because I can’t see anything when I’m reading anymore. It’s lightweight, and it doesn’t feel like I have anything on. Also, what I love is because I’m the ambassador, I’m allotted a certain amount. When someone comes up to me and says, “I love your glasses,” I can just give them to people. It’s the greatest. I can go back to them and say, “I need a few more pairs.” It’s the best experience, like a true ambassador. That’s what it means to be an ambassador, you’re bringing your heart and your soul and your passion into sharing it. It’s an honor.
If I print this, you’re going to have a lot of people coming up to you and asking for the sunglasses.
Well, then I’ve got to tell Porsche to send me some more glasses.
Interview edited for length and clarity.
A version of this story first appeared in the May 5 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
