"Grey's Anatomy" alum Patrick Dempsey recently opened up about his departure from the hit ABC series two seasons ago.
While speaking with People, the actor, who played the role of Derek Shepherd for 11 straight seasons, said that he felt it he should have departed the series much earlier.
"It had been long enough. It was time for me to move on with other things and other interests. I probably should have moved on a couple of years earlier. I stayed a bit longer than I should have," he said.
Dempsey also hinted on one of the reasons why he decided to exit "Grey's Anatomy." According to him, sometimes the salary is not the most important thing for an actor, but the ability to control his own time and schedule.
"I'm very grateful for 'Grey's Anatomy.' It's given me the opportunity to do everything. But at the same time, there was a cost. I think at a certain period of time, no matter how much money you make, you want control out of your own schedule," he said.
Even though "Grey's Anatomy" only has a little over 20 episodes every season, Dempsey and his co-stars were on set for several months.
Meanwhile, Dempsey suggested that he wasn't axed from "Grey's Anatomy," but was the one who told executive producer Shonda Rhimes that he was wants to leave the show.
"It was clear we were both ready," he said. The actor added that the way his character was killed off from the show was "interesting" and "symbolic." "I thought it was really interesting. It definitely woke people up. And it was beautifully symbolic in many ways," he said.
In other news, Dempsey's character's death in "Grey's Anatomy" was mourned not only by his co-stars, but also by his fans. There was also an online backlash when fans started questioning Rhimes' decision to get rid of the character.
After Dempsey's departure, a slew of new characters were introduced in the series in season 12. Nathan Riggs (Martin Henderson) and Andrew De Luca (Giacomo Gianniotti) will both return to season 13.
"Grey's Anatomy" season 13 will premiere on ABC on Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. ET.