An epic comeback!

Patrick Dempsey: Behind His 'Grey's Anatomy' Comeback

Did we ever cry when "Dr. Derek Shepherd" died on Grey's Anatomy! The 17th season of the successful medical drama series has just started again in the U.S., and fans were surprised with a comeback by Patrick Dempsey. We'll tell you how it came about, but be careful, spoilers up ahead!

Patrick Dempsey (54) exited Grey's Anatomy after eleven seasons and shocked fans worldwide.. His series character was so badly injured in a car accident that the doctors couldn't do anything to save him. "Derek" was declared brain dead and died in the presence of his wife "Meredith".

Grey's Anatomy: Patrick Dempsey's comeback brings joy in difficult times

The new season of Grey's Anatomy takes place in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. "Meredith" collapses in the parking lot of the "Grey Sloan Memorial" and passes out. Her "Derek" appears in a dream sequence on the beach.

Krista Vernoff (46), the showrunner of the series, revealed in an interview with Deadline that they wanted to give the fans some joy during these difficult times. So she called Ellen Pompeo (51) and thought: "What if we bring back, I don’t know, some dead character that you could dream of on the beach, that would be so fun for the fans."

'Grey's Anatomy' Season 17 Premiere: Patrick Dempsey Reunion

The idea, to bring Patrick Dempsey back to the series, was by Ellen Pompeo herself. While walking on the beach, the "Meredith" actress asked her former husband from the series if he wanted to come back again. Dempsey was convinced of the idea to offer the fans of the show some hope in these dark times and immediately agreed, as he revealed in an interview with Deadline.

Patrick Dempsey: Was that the reason he left?

Patrick Dempsey's comeback surprised many fans as his exit five years ago caused a great deal of excitement. According to rumors, he didn't really hit it off with Ellen Pompeo and showrunner Shonda Rhimes.

In an interview with Auto Bild Dempsey revealed that he decided to exit the series because of his love for motorsport and his career as a race car driver. Lately, the actor has been focusing on running his cancer foundation.