Overview
- An excerpt from MacLachlan’s memoir Fictional Selves was republished on Monday, October 12, 2026, and it recounts his 2004 audition for the Derek Shepherd role on Grey’s Anatomy.
- MacLachlan writes that his audition in Los Angeles “went pretty well” but that he lacked the “requisite smolder appeal” he felt producers wanted for the romantic lead.
- He quotes show creatives as wanting someone “dreamier,” and the role ultimately went to Patrick Dempsey after other candidates such as Isaiah Washington auditioned and Rob Lowe was considered.
- MacLachlan notes that around the same time he instead joined Desperate Housewives as Orson Hodge, a part he says fit his established screen persona better than a heartthrob role would have.
- The memoir excerpt underscores how casting tastes, actor persona and timing can redirect careers and revive interest in well-known production choices without offering new documentary evidence.