Entertainment TV Patrick Dempsey Says He Knew Wife Jillian Was ‘The One’ the ‘Moment’ He Saw Her: ‘I Just Had That Feeling’ (Exclusive) The ‘Ferrari’ star and founder of the Dempsey Center was just crowned PEOPLE’s 2023 Sexiest Man Alive By Julie Jordan Julie Jordan Julie Jordan is an Editor at Large for PEOPLE. She has been with the brand for 25 years, writing cover stories and features and managing special issues including the Beautiful Issue and Sexiest Man Alive. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 8, 2023 02:24PM EST As a devoted husband and family man with a love for speed and adventure, it’s no wonder we’ve been swooning over Patrick Dempsey for more than two decades. Now he's has been crowned PEOPLE’s 2023 Sexiest Man Alive. “I was completely shocked, and then I started laughing, like, this is a joke, right? I’ve always been the bridesmaid!” says the Ferrari star, 57, of hearing the news. “I’d completely forgotten about it and never even contemplated being in this position. So my ego is good.” Dempsey's wife Jillian, a makeup artist and founder of her own clean beauty line, “was shocked too,” he says, laughing. And when it came to their kids, Talula, 21, and 16-year-old twins Sullivan and Darby, the actor was prepared for a lot of teasing. “They’re just going to make fun of me and pick on me and figure out every reason why I shouldn’t be,” he adds. “Which is good, they keep me young.” Sexiest Man Alive Patrick Dempsey Teases He Has Been in an Awkward Phase 'Pretty Much My Entire Life' Patrick and Jillian Dempsey. Patrick Dempsey/instagram Married on July 31, 1999, Dempsey says he knew Jillian was the one “the moment I saw her. I went in where she was working, and I looked across the room at her and was blown away.” But it was a trip from Maine to New York that made him realize he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. “She was pretty game for the road trip so I thought that was good,” the Grey's Anatomy alum recalls. “I love the cold and rain and she loves the sun and beach. We’re complete opposites and I have to say, she’ll make me do sh-- I never want to do and 9 times out of 10 she’s absolutely correct. So she puts up with me.” All the Sexiest Man Alive Covers Patrick Dempsey is PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive 2023. Carter Smith For more on 2023's Sexiest Man Alive, pick up this week's issue of People, on newsstands Friday. As a husband, “I just try to be a better person every day and be present,” Dempsey says. “And to listen to what the needs are of the family and provide from that perspective.” The two share “a good sense of humor, and she’s really hardworking,” he adds. “She’s always inspired me.” Ferrari will be in theaters on Christmas Day. For more information on the Dempsey Center, visit www.dempseycenter.org.