Patrick Dempsey Says 'Grey's Anatomy' Is Like Running A Marathon

[Brian Damage]

NEW YORK (AP) - Patrick Dempsey may be McDreamy on ABC's ''Grey's Anatomy,'' but in the future, he'd like to be Old MacDonald. ''I can be perfectly happy living in the country, having a little farm and working occasionally,'' the 41-year-old actor tells the December issue of Best Life magazine, on newsstands Tuesday.

''If someone calls, I'll go to work, but I am tired of going and putting myself through hell just to get into the room to be prepared, to be professional and to let go of any kind of anger or frustration and then not getting the part.'' Last May, Dempsey bought a farm in Maine, where he grew up. The purchase, he says, was a turning point: ''It was like, you know what? I'm done. I now know what I want.''

Dempsey, who portrays Dr. Derek Shepherd on ''Grey's Anatomy,'' says coming to terms with fame - and 14-hour shooting days - has been challenging. ''The show is like running a marathon. It feels like it never stops. The obligations you have for the show - it's relentless,'' he says. ''The amount of exposure and the visibility ... it was a big change for me.''

Dempsey co-stars with Amy Adams in Disney's ''Enchanted,'' which opens Wednesday. He'll next be seen in the romantic comedy ''Made of Honor,'' slated for release in May. ''There's a core audience who's watching 'Grey's Anatomy' who expects something from you when they go to the box office, so you want to deliver that,'' he says. ''I'm going to wait to see what happens with these movies, and we'll make choices after that. You can't get too far ahead of yourself.''

Dempsey, who has three children with his wife, Jillian, says ''family - and all of its joys and heartaches - is the grounding force.'' ''It's why you do everything,'' he says. ''It's why you go to work, and why you put up with what you have to put up with, why you do what you have to do. Because you want a better life for them.''