Fans of "Grey's Anatomy" had the shock of their lives when Patrick Dempsey left his role as Derek Shepherd in the ABC series. His character was killed off in season 11 after rumors that creator Shonda Rhimes have had it with his "diva" attitude and infidelity issues.
Speaking to People, Patrick Dempsey, however, revealed that he fully respected the producer's decision. He added that although he was sad to leave "Grey's Anatomy" he's sure that a lot of opportunities will open up to him in the coming days.
""I'm not retiring from acting," he said.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor revealed that he was a bit surprised when he found out that his character will be killed in season 11, given that he has signed a two-year deal with "Grey's Anatomy."
"It just sort of evolved. It's just kind of happened," he said. "It was just a natural progression, the way the story was unfolding, the way everything was unfolding in a very organic way. It was like, 'Okay! This was obviously the right time.'"
He shared that he was not really aware that Derek would die in season 11 until the last minute.
"Things happened very quickly, where we were like, 'Oh this is where it's going to go.' It just sort of unfolded in a very organic way. I don't remember the date. It was not in the fall. February or March. It happened very quickly."
Patrick Dempsey added that he would definitely miss the bond he shared with his co-actors, particularly Ellen Pompeo, whom he had worked with for more than a decade.
"Beautiful chemistry. It's magic. Chemistry. It's beautiful. We're like a married couple. It's 10 years and it was magic from the beginning. Chemistry right away. Very moving, always has been," he shared.