Patrick Dempsey's children make him cry.

The 47-year-old actor admitted he is an emotional guy and his children - Tallulah Fyfe, 11, and six-year-old twins Sullivan and Darby - with wife Jillian Fink often move him to tears.

He told People magazine: ''I'm moved to tears quite a bit, I'm a big crier. Sometimes your kids say something and it's so amazing with insight. Their wisdom, whether they realise it or not, there's something so beautiful in it.''

'Grey's Anatomy' star Patrick is also a keen racing driver and cyclist and even gave up sex and shaved his legs to help him achieve his goal of riding 100 miles.

He explained: ''Yes, leg shaving has done wonders for my riding; now that I'm celibate it's easier to focus on my training plans. Seriously, I want to ride a century; that's my goal. My longest ride so far is 75 miles.''

Patrick - whose hunky 'Grey's Anatomy' character Dr. Derek Shepherd is nicknamed McDreamy - credits cycling for helping him cope with stardom.

He added: ''Psychologically, getting back on the bike really helped me. It was hard to weather the success of 'Grey's', but I found I could go for a ride and get centred.

''Cycling also taught me a lot about managing discomfort. When you leave your comfort zone, you learn how to manage your emotions and to stay focused.''