Grey's Anatomy's Patrick Dempsey Was Convinced Shonda Rhimes Hated Him When They First Met

During a Paley Center panel dedicated to discussing "Grey's Anatomy," Patrick Dempsey revealed that he initially believed his first meeting with the show's creator, Shonda Rhimes, hadn't gone well. According to Dempsey, Rhimes said so little to him throughout the meeting that he not only left it believing he hadn't landed a role on "Grey's Anatomy," but also feeling a little intimidated by its creator.

"I called my agent and [said], 'It's not going to work at all. Shonda Rhimes hates me. No, [I] didn't do well in the room at all,'" Dempsey recalled. Of course, as some "Grey's Anatomy" fans may already have been able to guess, Dempsey's first impression of Rhimes was totally inaccurate. Her silence throughout their first meeting, it turned out, wasn't because she was unhappy with his presence or talent, but because she was already busy thinking about what kind of dialogue she wanted to write for him.

"I was trying to figure out what dialogue I could write for him to say. Honestly, the entire time that he was in the room, [from when] he walked in the room, I was like, 'Oh my God, he's so dreamy!'" Rhimes revealed. The "Grey's Anatomy" creator added, "We met some [other] actors, but none of them were dreamy."

Dempsey went on to have a recurring role as Derek Shepherd throughout the first 11 seasons of "Grey's Anatomy." He made his shocking exit from the series, however, near the end of its 11th season.