Patrick Dempsey says his kids are going to pick on him for being named 2023's 'Sexiest Man Alive'

It's been a while since "Grey’s Anatomy" fans saw Patrick Dempsey first portray neurosurgeon Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd on the ABC medical drama. He first appeared on screen nearly 20 years ago but quickly won over fans for his, well, hard-to-deny overall gorgeousness. It looks like the handsome actor has only gotten better with age and has finally taken home the Sexiest Man Alive crown from PEOPLE magazine this year.

“I’m glad it’s happening at this point in my life,” the Maine native, 57, told the outlet in this week’s cover story. “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.” Talking about when he was first told that he would be PEOPLE's next sexy cover man, Dempsey said: “I was completely shocked, and then I started laughing, like, this is a joke, right? I’ve always been the bridesmaid! I’d completely forgotten about it and never even contemplated being in this position. So my ego is good.”

The actor joked that his kids were "going to make fun of me and pick on me and figure out every reason why I shouldn’t be. Which is good, they keep me young.” The "Enchanted" actor is married to Jillian Dempsey, also 57, a makeup artist and founder of her own clean beauty line. They share a daughter named Talula, 21, and 16-year-old twins, Sullivan and Darby.

On a professional front, the actor is looking forward to his role as Italian driver Piero Taruffi in Michael Mann’s upcoming film "Ferrari." “I’d been following the movie for years, so I called Michael and said, ‘I want to discuss being a part of this,’ ” Dempsey recalled. “That taught me if you really want something, you have to do it yourself.”

Dempsey is not just all good looks, he's also someone who's done his part to help the community. He founded the Dempsey Center in honor of his late mom to support cancer patients and their loved ones. According to the foundation's website, Patrick’s mother Amanda was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1997. She was someone who was always passionate about taking care of others. Inspired by her journey and spirit, the actor created a space where those impacted by cancer could find relief, comfort, resources and support—all at no cost.

Amanda died of ovarian cancer in 2014 but Dempsey continues to honor her legacy. Speaking of the first time he learned of her diagnosis he told TODAY, “My sister called and said Mom had been diagnosed with cancer. She had ovarian cancer and the tumor was the size of a grapefruit and that she needed to go into surgery immediately.” As she battled the disease she was also a volunteer at the center. “My mother was certainly controlling, yes,” Dempsey said with a laugh. “That was part of her thing.”

It was pretty obvious that the experience “meant more to her than she could verbalize.” “She wanted to give back,” he added. “She was incredibly vulnerable but always had a strong facade. And, I think for her to come back as a volunteer meant a lot to her, and it meant a lot to the people in the community that she was here too. She was a tremendous symbol of hope in this community,” Dempsey said.