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\t\t<\/p>\n Patrick Dempsey<\/strong><\/a> hasn\u2019t been on Grey\u2019s Anatomy<\/em><\/strong> as a series regular for 10 years now and while he doesn\u2019t feel an \u201cattachment\u201d to his character anymore, he understands the impact his work as Derek Shepherd had on his life. <\/p>\n The 60-year-old actor is currently starring in the Fox series Memory of a Killer<\/em> and was asked about Grey\u2019s <\/em>in a new interview about the show. <\/p>\n \u201cWhat kind of relationship do you have with Derek Shepherd now? Do you still have any attachment to the character?\u201d he was asked by The Hollywood Reporter<\/a><\/em>. <\/p>\n Patrick <\/strong>started off by saying \u201cno\u201d to the attachment question and used the question to talk about his Dempsey Center<\/a>, which provides personalized and comprehensive cancer care at no cost.<\/p>\n Keep reading to find out more\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut what it does give me is a platform to help talk about the Dempsey Center and the work that is being done there,\u201d Patrick <\/strong>said. \u201cWe\u2019re talking in March right now, which is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. People still perceive me in many ways [as a doctor on TV], and so many people have gone into the profession because of that show, continually. It\u2019s an evergreen. It seems like it never goes away. I think that\u2019s a really beautiful legacy \u2014 that more people are going into the profession to become doctors and nurses which we need, and then it brings awareness to the type of work that we\u2019re doing at the center. We don\u2019t treat the disease; we treat the person holistically.\u201d<\/p>\n Patrick<\/strong> added, \u201c[Grey\u2019s and Derek] will always be a part of my life. I accepted that a long time ago. It\u2019s nice to be able to go and do something else \u2014 and to be allowed to do something else \u2014 and hopefully the audience will accept me and come along on these new journeys as an actor to explore different types of characters. But it\u2019s really been a blessing to give me this kind of visibility and platform. When I started, I came from a very small town in Maine, and I\u2019m continuing to be an employed actor, which is a miracle in itself. I have seen so many people who I started with who have either given up on the business or unfortunately are no longer around. I\u2019m grateful for everything that is happening, and in whatever form I can work and create and bring awareness to the causes that are meaningful to me is a blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n Patrick <\/strong>recently shared the heartbreaking details<\/a> of co-star Eric Dane<\/strong>\u2018s final days. <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n