Patrick Dempsey hasn’t been on Grey’s Anatomy as a series regular for 10 years now and while he doesn’t feel an “attachment” to his character anymore, he understands the impact his work as Derek Shepherd had on his life.

The 60-year-old actor is currently starring in the Fox series Memory of a Killer and was asked about Grey’s in a new interview about the show.

“What kind of relationship do you have with Derek Shepherd now? Do you still have any attachment to the character?” he was asked by The Hollywood Reporter.

Patrick started off by saying “no” to the attachment question and used the question to talk about his Dempsey Center, which provides personalized and comprehensive cancer care at no cost.

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“But what it does give me is a platform to help talk about the Dempsey Center and the work that is being done there,” Patrick said. “We’re talking in March right now, which is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. People still perceive me in many ways [as a doctor on TV], and so many people have gone into the profession because of that show, continually. It’s an evergreen. It seems like it never goes away. I think that’s a really beautiful legacy — that more people are going into the profession to become doctors and nurses which we need, and then it brings awareness to the type of work that we’re doing at the center. We don’t treat the disease; we treat the person holistically.”

Patrick added, “[Grey’s and Derek] will always be a part of my life. I accepted that a long time ago. It’s nice to be able to go and do something else — and to be allowed to do something else — and hopefully the audience will accept me and come along on these new journeys as an actor to explore different types of characters. But it’s really been a blessing to give me this kind of visibility and platform. When I started, I came from a very small town in Maine, and I’m continuing to be an employed actor, which is a miracle in itself. I have seen so many people who I started with who have either given up on the business or unfortunately are no longer around. I’m grateful for everything that is happening, and in whatever form I can work and create and bring awareness to the causes that are meaningful to me is a blessing.”

Patrick recently shared the heartbreaking details of co-star Eric Dane‘s final days.