Patrick Dempsey reflects on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ exit in surprising way

Patrick Dempsey departed “Grey’s Anatomy” more than a season ago, and for the most part, he has remained quiet on the circumstances behind the exit. What seems particularly odd about it is that for some reasons, everyone has kept so tight-lipped about it that it makes the departure seem more scandalous than it probably is.

After all, it ultimately appears as though Dempsey departed mostly just out of a desire to do other things; as a matter of fact, upon reflection he told People Magazine this week while promoting “Bridget Jones’ Baby” that he wishes he had departed earlier:

It had been long enough. It was time for me to move on with other things and other interests. I probably should have moved on a couple of years earlier. I stayed a bit longer than I should have … I think after a certain period of time, no matter how much money you make, you want control out of your own schedule.”

Dempsey also said that he and creator Shonda Rhimes worked together to find the right way to write his character out of the show, and he described the way in which Derek went as “symbolic.”

Of course, we do miss seeing the character on the show, but at the same time, there are few things more miserable for a show than having someone around who doesn’t want to be there since you can often read it on them. Patrick’s off doing things that he enjoys now, and “Grey’s Anatomy” didn’t suffer too much in the ratings. As a matter of fact, it was ABC’s #1 drama series for the past TV season even without him in the cast.

If you missed it, the thirteenth season of the show did recently release their first promo; you can check that out over here! Meanwhile, sign up over at this link to score some other TV news on everything we cover via our official CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: ABC.)