LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Patrick Dempsey opened up about the blend of excitement in his family and, surprisingly, some discontent among his own circle of friends after he was crowned People's 2023 'Sexiest Man Alive.'

At the recent Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix, the 'Grey's Anatomy' alum spoke to ET Online about how people responded to the announcement of his title.

"I didn't realize how close the competition was and how many people finished second and how many people were overlooked, and then how many people were mad I got it," he said.

Dempsey now joins the prestigious list of previous Sexiest Man Alive winners and fellow actors, including Michael B Jordan, Paul Rudd, and Chris Evans.

Patrick Dempsey is 'happy to be in the game'

Dempsey shared that he is currently enjoying his moment after he won the title. "I'm just happy to be in the game at this point in my life, so it's good. I’m having a good time. I'm enjoying my moment," he said.

The 'Ferrari' star who was announced as this year's Sexiest Man Alive earlier this year admitted that he was taken aback by the honor.

"I was completely shocked, and then I started laughing, like, this is a joke, right? I’ve always been the bridesmaid!," the 57-year-old actor laughed while talking to People.

"I’d completely forgotten about it and never even contemplated being in this position. So my ego is good," he added.

"I’m glad it’s happening at this point in my life. It’s nice to have the recognition, and certainly my ego takes a little bump, but it gives me the platform to use it for something positive," Dempsey stated.

How many children does Patrick Dempsey have?

Speaking to People about how his children responded to the announcement, Dempsey said they are "just going to make fun of me and pick on me and figure out every reason why I shouldn’t be, which is good, they keep me young."

The actor who is also an auto-racing enthusiast shares 21-year-old daughter Talula and 16-year-old twins Darby and Sullivan with his wife Jillian Dempsey.

Dempsey and his 57-year-old makeup artist wife tied the knot in 1999 at a farmhouse in Maine.

In January 2015, the couple went through a period of separation when Jillian filed for divorce from Dempsey. The actor and his wife then decided to work on their individual and relationship issues to find their way back to each other.