Editing Patrick Dempsey (section)

===1984–1989: Early roles and breakthrough ===
An invitation to audition for a role in the stage production of ''[[Torch Song Trilogy]]'' led to Patrick Dempsey's discovery as an actor. His audition was successful and he spent the following four months touring with the company in [[Philadelphia]]. He followed this with another tour, ''[[Brighton Beach Memoirs]]'', in the lead role, which was directed by [[Gene Saks]]. Dempsey has also made notable appearances in the stage productions of ''[[On Golden Pond (play)|On Golden Pond]]'', with the Maine Acting Company, and as Timmy (the [[Martin Sheen]] role) in a 1990 off-[[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] revival of ''[[The Subject Was Roses]]'' co-starring with [[John Mahoney]] and [[Dana Ivey]] at the [[Roundabout Theatre]] in New York.

Dempsey's first major feature film role was at age 21 with [[Beverly D'Angelo]] in the film ''[[In the Mood (film)|In The Mood]]'', the actual [[World War II]] story about [[Ellsworth Wisecarver]] whose relationships with older married women created a national uproar. He then co-starred in the third installment of the comedy classic ''[[Meatballs III: Summer Job]]'', alongside Sally Kellerman in 1987. This was followed by the teen comedy ''[[Can't Buy Me Love (film)|Can't Buy Me Love]]'' in 1987 with actress [[Amanda Peterson]] and ''[[Some Girls (film)|Some Girls]]'' with [[Jennifer Connelly]] in 1988. In 1989, Dempsey had the lead role in the films ''[[Loverboy (1989 film)|Loverboy]]'' with actress [[Kirstie Alley]] and ''[[Happy Together (1989 American film)|Happy Together]]'' with actress [[Helen Slater]].<ref name="imdb">{{IMDb name|1131}}</ref>