Patrick Dempsey's 'Grey's Anatomy' Cast Didn't Know Much About His Exit

Patrick Dempsey checks messages on his phone while taking a walk in the neighborhood on Thursday (May 14) in Los Angeles.

This was the first time that the 49-year-old actor has been spotted since his Grey’s Anatomy exit.

PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Patrick Dempsey

Patrick‘s former co-star James Pickens Jr. (Dr. Richard Webber) recently chatted about his exit from the show.

“We didn’t know a whole lot. It was kind of on the fly,” James shared to ABC News. “So whatever information we got, we pretty much got it kind of right before it happened.”

James added, “Obviously, Grey’s wouldn’t have been Grey’s without [Patrick]. He was such an integral part of that. He’s a very talented guy. His character has become iconic. I mean, it’s part of the lexicon of TV.”