Patrick Dempsey is PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive 2023

There's sexy ... and then there's dreamy.

PEOPLE has chosen, and this year's Sexiest Man Alive is none other than McDreamy himself, Patrick Dempsey (finally!)

Dempsey, who's best known for playing Derek Shepherd on more than 200 episodes of Grey's Anatomy, snags the title at the age of 57, more than 30 years after he began his career in Hollywood. "I'm glad it's happening at this point in my life," Dempsey tells PEOPLE. "It's nice to have the recognition, and certainly my ego takes a little bump, but it gives me the platform to use it for something positive."

Dempsey joins a long list of PEOPLE's Sexiest Men Alive, including last year's honoree Chris Evans, and previous title holders Paul Rudd, Michael B. Jordan, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, John Legend, Idris Elba, Chris Hemsworth, and Channing Tatum.

This year sees Dempsey return to the big screen in the Michael Mann-directed biopic Ferrari (which received a waiver from SAG-AFTRA) playing Piero Taruffi, an Italian Formula One driver. "I'd been following the movie for years, so I called Michael and said, 'I want to discuss being a part of this,' " Dempsey says. "That taught me if you really want something, you have to do it yourself."

Outside of acting, the husband and father of three also founded the Dempsey Center. In honor of his late mother, the center supports cancer patients and their loved ones.

As for his latest accomplishment, Dempsey jokes, "I've got the bumper stickers, T-shirts, posters."

For more on the Sexiest Man Alive – and 134 of the hottest guys in Hollywood – click HERE and pick up this week's issue on newsstands nationwide Friday, Nov. 10!

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