LOS ANGELES - is too enchanted with his new movie to be bothered -- really -- about losing out to Matt Damon as the sexiest man alive.
The "" star, appearing in "Enchanted," appeared Saturday night on the red carpet at the movie's world premiere at El Capitan Theatre with his co-stars, including Helen Mirren, Teri Hatcher and constumed characters including Cinderella and Mickey Mouse.
A contemporary twist on Disney's fairy-tale classics, "Enchanted" begins in the animated world with an evil queen banishing a princess (Amy Adams) to live-action modern-day New York City. There, the princess meets a divorce attorney (Dempsey) and becomes disenchanted with her old life.
"The movie is, in essence, about true love's kiss and true love," Dempsey told The Associated Press. "And it's everything Disney in a way, in that it's very funny and honors (the studio's animated classics), and it's an old-fashioned musical."
Adams and Dempsey, working their way down the red carpet, voiced opinions on everything from the Hollywood writers strike to Dempsey's recent No. 2 ranking (behind Matt Damon) on People magazine's list of sexiest men.
"He was robbed!" said Adams, wearing a white J. Mendel gown. "He was robbed! That's what I think about that."
"That's funny," injected Dempsey with a laugh. "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride."
Dempsey -- aka "McDreamy" from "Grey's" -- and his fellow cast members from the top-rated TV medical drama finished filming Friday and won't return to the set until the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers settle their contract dispute.
"I know they're going into talks on the 26th," Dempsey said. "So, hopefully, rational minds will sit down and work something out."
Among Disney film vets on Saturday's red carpet were Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel in "The Little Mermaid," and Paige O'Hara, Belle from "Beauty and the Beast." Both make tip-of-the-hat appearances in "Enchanted."
"'Beauty and the Beast' ... was a life-changing experience," O'Hara said. "I'm still recording Belle all the time. I'm in the studio every few weeks, recording toys, interactive toys, games, CDs, CD-ROMs, direct-to-DVD princess videos, so it's still very much a part of my life."
Broadway belter Idina Menzel ("Wicked") did interviews with actor-husband Taye Diggs ("Private Practice") at her side. She plays Dempsey's girlfriend -- a rare, non-singing role.
"Don't feel sorry for me," Menzel said. "l had just finished doing 'Wicked' and 'Rent,' the movie, and I was singing every day. ... And I actually was really honored that ("Enchanted" director) Kevin Lima hired me on the merits on my acting alone."
Chart-topping Grammy winner Carrie Underwood, who was on hand in a pink Elsie Katz Couture, provides the film's end-title track, "Ever, Ever After."
Of Disney princesses, she said she related most to Cinderella.
"I've never been scrubbing floors or cleaning toilets growing up. And my family was great," Underwood said. "But just to go from small-town girl to red carpets and cameras, it's definitely a Cinderella story."
