Patrick Dempsey recently gave an interview to L’Officiel Paris. He talks about his collaboration with Porsche Design, his passion for racing and Ferrari (available from today on Prime Video in France). Read the translation below.

Meeting with Patrick Dempsey

The actor, who became a star thanks to Grey’s Anatomy, has managed to invent another path for himself, on the designing side, with De Rigo-Porsche Eyewear. Even though he satisfies his passion for motorsports, he continues his career in cinema. Currently starring in Ferrari, Michael Mann’s new film, he answered our questions from Los Angeles.

How did your collaboration with De Rigo-Porsche Design start for the design of Patrick Dempsey Edition glasses?

I have known them since the time they sponsored one of my racing cars. I deeply love this brand. I was able to work on several aspects, the design, the materials… I loved discovering the whole process behind the creation.

You practice a great number of sports, right?

Skiing, cycling, car racing… these were my great passions as a child and teenager. When I met, by chance, Jean-Claude Killy, one of my childhood idols, and another time Alain Prost, who was cycling on the island where I was spending my holidays, I was very moved…

Have you never considered a career in one of these fields?

I had work as an actor, and a family to raise, with the responsibilities that come with it. Now, I have more opportunities for my passions to come together.

Since you are currently starring in Ferrari and you have your own team, Dempsey-Proton Racing, can you give us more details about your passion for car racing?

It started with skiing, actually. I wasn’t very good at school, my dyslexia wasn’t diagnosed until late, but I loved sport. Then, I became interested in cars, first collecting miniatures, and now much larger models!

Did you have role models, idols?

The driver Jacky Ickx was a very kind mentor to me when I raced the 24 hours of Le Mans. Ayrton Senna, whom I did not get to know, was incredibly charismatic. I also love pre-war drivers, such as Stirling Moss, with whom I had the chance to have dinner, in 2015. His house looks like James Bond’s! If I had to choose only one, Fangio would be my favorite driver, I think he’s really the best, in all respects.

Car racing also has a very cinematic dimension, with drivers who today have become superstars beyond the world of sports fans…

Yes, you know that there will be dramatic twists and turns… I can’t wait to see what Lewis Hamilton will achieve with Ferrari next season… If he wins a title there, he will become an absolute legend. I would like there to be more Formula 1 drivers who race the 24 hours of Le Mans, an absolute myth.

It seems that participating in Michael Mann’s film, Ferrari, was particularly important to you….

I had read the script 15 years ago, I think. I loved it, its structure, the fact that it covers just three months of Enzo Ferrari’s life, that it looks at his personal life, the difficulty in running his racing team… It turns out that I was working on another shoot with a hairdresser who was about to join Michael’s, who had finally managed to get the funding for his film. I immediately wrote to him, to tell him that I absolutely wanted to participate. We talked for an hour… He contacted me the following week to give me the role of Piero Taruffi.

What distinguishes him from other filmmakers with whom you have worked?

His attention to the smallest details, his ability to lead his teams, to make every decision. He had done incredibly extensive research. He is a master.

Did you have a body double for the races? These are impressive…

No, I drove myself. And yes, there were moments that were a little dangerous… It gave us a very precise feeling of what the pilots of that time were experiencing, the emotions they were going through!

How do you choose your roles?

Instinctively. The role can be very far from my personality, or close. In the end it is the filmmaker who draws me in, and the shooting locations!

After almost forty years in the industry, what still excites you?

That the next project be the most exciting of all. That every element, from the script to the director of photography, be perfect. This experience with Michael has set the bar very high!

Have you never been tempted to make your own film?

I would rather produce a project bringing together a filmmaker, a screenwriter… I would be quite interested in exploring the world of skiing, or cycling…

What is your favorite car race in the history of cinema?

The French Connection, by William Friedkin.

Finally, do you think that your love of speed sports also comes from all those hours spent waiting in your dressing room to be called on set?

Absolutely!

The interview also came with a new behind the scenes photo of Patrick’s photoshoot with Porsche Design for the new collection.

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Source: https://www.lofficiel.com/hommes/rencontre-avec-patrick-dempsey