Patrick Dempsey talks to HOLA! about TAG Heuer, racing, acting and more.
You have conquered Hollywood and climbed the podium in Le Mans and Daytona. When you put on your helmet and lower your visor, which part of the actor stays in the pit and what instinct takes the steering wheel?
Notice that I think that, in my case, when I get behind the wheel, everything calms down and I feel very comfortable. Like at home. As if after the hustle and bustle of the cameras, I am in the car where, finally, I really get to relax.
Wearing a TAG Heuer Monaco on your wrist is a direct invocation to the spirit of Steve McQueen. Does that legacy weigh you down or is it more of an amulet?
I don’t think it’s a “burden” because I don’t try to compete with McQueen… It is rather about what the watch represents and what TAG Heuer represents and, in a way, what the Designed to Win campaign also represents; it is a form of mentality, it is the culture of the brand. It has to do with motorsport and its fundamental DNA, starting with the Carrera and also with Jack Heuer’s authentic passion for motorsport from a very early age. And that has been part of his legacy. And what I really love about TAG Heuer is its consistency. When you get a TAG, you know what you’re buying, you know what it symbolizes. I think that’s the answer to the question. Between Steve and me there is simply a shared passion. The one that we both feel for motorsport; what the watch represents and of course, what for both is (was) F1.
Of the entire historical archive of TAG Heuer, if you could only save a model from the end of the world, which one would you choose to accompany you in your last race?
My God, how difficult… Can I tell you two? The Scent-O-Box, which is really beautiful, although lately I’m using a lot, and I love it, the Rich History. I think it has something from the past that represents the legend of this sport and something very rabidly current. The time we live in and in which we are today.
In the cinema, time is edited, cut and stretched; on the track, it is a relentless dictator. How has your relationship with the notion of ‘time’ changed since you started competing?
As we get older, you value time much more. So how do I make the most of the time? At the highest level. It’s about spending time with your family, with good friends and, you know, committing to projects that do you good, because the time you have is very limited. And that is what we must remember: enjoying time is being present, and being present is not thinking about time. That’s the biggest challenge.
Motorsports has an almost romantic component of flirting with danger. What are you looking for in that adrenaline rush that a set doesn’t offer you?
When you compete, the level of concentration is much higher because there is a lot at stake. When you race, I don’t know why, but it’s very different, also the level of intensity and concentration is very high… But it’s not so much about adrenaline as about mental and physical power. And that is what I have learned aboard a single-seater, and what I have wanted to transfer both to interpretation and to my personal life.
You are the ambassador of a brand that combines high watchmaking with speed. Is F1 the latest great fashion and technology catwalk in the modern world?
Without a doubt, right now, pilots are icons. Many sponsorships and things like that fall on F1 drivers because the attention they receive is at a level that is probably similar to that of the 50s and 60s, when popularity was maximum. I guess this is so because we have come to understand the humanity of drivers in such a way that people now connect with them much more emotionally and deeply.
Today, for Patrick Dempsey, what is the real non-negotiable luxury in his day-to-day life?
I’m lucky to be working. That is already a luxury in itself in the world we live in and in a profession like mine. And that the more I get old, the more I enjoy and the fewer expectations I have about what is to come. I just enjoy where I am.
Is there any technical or emotional skill that you have learned at more than 300 km/h and that you apply when you stand in front of (or behind) a camera?
Breathe, breathe, breathe. That is the most important and the most difficult thing to remember because, the more nervous or excited you are, the less you breathe; when, however, you are more aware of your breathing, you are calmer and more present… It’s… like the second hand: simple, quiet, but crucial.
Will you come to Madrid?
Yes, I really want to. I think the Spanish GP is going to be great. We are back to action and it is the first time we have been in Madrid in a long time. In addition, Spain has just won the World Cup and has been huge, dominating in a very discreet and forceful way. And it’s been nice. Madrid, in addition, is a beautiful city, with the oldest restaurant in the world… Madrid is simply great.
Have you seen the circuit yet?
I’ve seen it in photos and I’m looking forward to seeing it in person.
As a pilot and motorsport lover, what element do you think will make Madrid a ‘legendary’ appointment?
I think we have to wait for the unexpected because it’s a new circuit. And that’s really exciting: to see how the different cars adapt to the circuit, who will be successful and which team will best adapt to that particular track. I think you can say without fear of being wrong that there are three or four teams with chances of winning, although Kimi (Antonelli) is dominating.
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