Patrick Dempsey & Ellen Pompeo Reflect On Surprise ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Reunion

Spoiler alert! “Grey’s Anatomy” fans were shocked with the return of Derek Shepherd played by Patrick Dempsey on Thursday night’s premiere. The actor returned for the first time since his character died in 2015 to reunite with his wife on the show, Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo. Derek explained the story behind his cameo to Deadline revealing, “I’ve been tracking what Grey’s had been doing with giving masks, and making sure that people had the right equipment, and it came from that place — okay, what can we do to make people feel better, to give some comfort in this time of uncertainty, and that’s how it began. And it was really a wonderful experience to go back, to work with [director] Debbie [Allen].”