Actor Patrick Dempsey said raising kids in Hollywood hasn’t been easy, but he’s intent on doing a good job.
The 57-year-old father of three discussed his outlook during a recent cover story interview with People. Dempsey was recently named “Sexiest Man Alive” by the outlet.
“They all have unique qualities and they have their own goals that they need to develop and harvest themselves and we just try to model our behavior and hopefully they’ll pick up on that,” he said. “They’re all athletic, they like to move. They are all very disciplined on that and you just try to instill the right values. Hopefully, they have the right manners and when they come back in and other parents go, ‘Oh your children are very polite,’ you’re like, ‘That’s nice to hear.’ And you know, are they grounded.”
The “Grey’s Anatomy” alum shares daughter Talula, 21, and twin sons Darby and Sullivan, 16, with his wife Jillian. They’ve been married since 1999.
Dempsey said of raising kids in the industry that it’s “very challenging having your children grow up in Hollywood and to be in that environment.”
“I just read something about how important it is when you have children, the environment that they’re in will be the most important thing for them and their development,” he continued. “So trying to keep that a good calm, loving, safe environment for them.”
Dempsey went on, “Because you need to be around, but they don’t want you around because they’re fighting for their independence, which they should. They need to find out how they interact in the world, they need to learn those boundaries, they need to make mistakes. And you need to be there for them and allow them to learn from that.”
He said having kids keeps him “active” and in turn, keeps him feeling young. “I need to stay in shape to keep up with them. The older you get, the more work you have to put in,” the actor told People.
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Dempsey also admitted there’s some good natured teasing going on at home. As for being voted the Sexiest Man Alive, he said his children, “just make fun of me and pick on me and figure out every reason why I shouldn’t be.”