Take a stroll through the last 20 years of People‘s Sexiest Men Alive. This year, the award went to Grey’s Anatomy‘s neurosurgeon Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd. The long-awaited title is something we look forward to every year, and this year’s choice has been worth the wait. The actor has never been given the title before, and with nearly 20 years of being television eye candy, the actor told the publication when he first heard the news, “I was completely shocked, and then I started laughing, like, this is a joke, right?” As for how his kids will respond, the Maine native insists they’re just going to make fun of him.

Humble Beginnings

Growing up in Maine, he recalled always having to be moving, so he took up a lot of sports like baseball, soccer, skiing, cycling.” The Ferrari actor had dyslexia, so he didn’t love school, and described himself as a “late bloomer.” In his youth, Dempsey joined a vaudeville troupe and rode a unicycle while juggling.

Now, the key is maturity and wisdom for the Can’t Buy Me Love alum. “You go through cycles of life, so you understand there are going to be high and low moments and what are the most important things. Everything else is a gift.” Despite his heartthrob status over the years, “I’m glad it’s happening at this point in my life,” he says of his new title.

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and People magazine has their own taste. See the Sexiest Men Alive from the last 20 years below: