Ellen Pompeo

Ellen Pompeo Calls Patrick Dempsey 'A Good Dad'

By Lisa Ingrassia and Courtney Rubin

02/05/2007 at 08:20 AM EST

New father of twins Patrick Dempsey is "a good dad," his Grey's Anatomy co-star Ellen Pompeo tells PEOPLE.

"I think the thing about Patrick is, obviously he has a tremendous love for his wife and his daughter, but he has a tremendous sense of duty," Pompeo, 37, says.

"He's really sort of old-fashioned in that way – he's got a good sense of being a gentleman and taking care of his family, and that's what makes him a good dad. It's an admirable quality."

Dempsey and wife Jillian welcomed sons Darby Galen and Sullivan Patrick in Los Angeles on Thursday. (Galen is Dempsey's middle name.) The couple, who have been married for seven years, also have a 4-year-old daughter, Talula.

In January, the 41-year-old actor told Life magazine of fatherhood: "Now, making money is about providing for my children. And being a father makes you look at yourself. You look at your marriage and go, 'How do I improve this? How do I keep growing and create a stable environment for my children?' "