Patrick Dempsey: "I've Never Really Believed in Valentine's Day"

Don't expect to get a Valentine from Patrick Dempsey.

"I've never really believed in Valentine's Day," he tells Reader's Digest.

But just because the 44-year-old actor -- who appears in the upcoming Valentine's Day (out Feb. 12) -- doesn't like the holiday, it doesn't mean he's not romantic.

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"You're anxious about buying the right gift, but it's really about your heart, not a TV commercial for De Beers diamonds," he attests. "The best Valentine's Days are magical and spontaneous and just sort of unfold."

Fans of the Grey's Anatomy's McDreamy, however, can't compete with his wife, makeup artist Jillian, whom he says embodies everything he looks for in a woman.

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"A sense of humor, strength, and, oh God, understanding," he says.

Dempsey -- who has three children with Jill, whom he married nearly 11 years ago -- also recalls his first kiss with "the girl behind home plate" when he was just a kid.

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"I was in fifth or sixth grade and very nervous, intimidated, and unsure," he says. "Girls are all-consuming at that age."