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It's been well over a year since we mourned the death of Derek 'McDreamy' Shepherd in Grey's Anatomy, but actor Patrick Dempsey reckons it should have happened a lot sooner.
Patrick played the suave doctor for 11 seasons before being killed off last year, and he's now admitted that staying on the show for so long came at "a cost".
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"I'm very grateful for Grey's Anatomy," he told People. "It's given me the opportunity to do everything. But at the same time, there was a cost."
The actor said he struggled spending so much time away from his wife Jillian and their three children. The couple announced their separation after 15 years last year, but later confirmed that they were getting back together.
"I think after a certain period of time, no matter how much money you make, you want control of your own schedule.
"It had been long enough. It was time for me to move on with other things and other interests. I probably should have moved on a couple of years earlier. I stayed a bit longer than I should have."
He added: "I thought [Derek's death] was really interesting. It definitely woke people up. And it was beautifully symbolic in many ways."
If you're still missing Derek, you can at least catch Dempsey in Bridget Jones's Baby, which is out at cinemas right now.
Grey's Anatomy - sans Dempers - returns to ABC in the US later this month.
