Fox Orders Memory of a Killer with Patrick Dempsey in Dual-Life Role

Patrick Dempsey will lead Fox’s straight-to-series thriller Memory of a Killer, slated for the 2025–2026 broadcast season. He portrays Angelo Ledda, a hitman who balances his role as a contract killer in New York City with a second life as a photocopier salesman and father in Cooperstown, New York.

Ledda’s carefully managed routine fractures when he receives an early onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis—the same illness that claimed his older brother. Soon after, he uncovers signs that his late wife’s death may have been intentional. When someone targets his pregnant daughter, he must sift through past assignments for clues, silently safeguarding his family while maintaining his cover.

Based on the 2003 Belgian film De Zaak Alzheimer and its 2022 American adaptation Memory, the series merges psychological drama with suspense. Fox describes the lead as “a man who is losing his memory but gaining a conscience,” underscoring the character’s internal struggle amid violent circumstances.

Ed Whitmore and Tracey Malone serve as writers and executive producers, with Cathy Schulman (Welle Entertainment), Arthur Sarkissian, Martin Campbell and Peter Bouckaert (Eyeworks) also on the producing team. Warner Bros. Television and Fox Entertainment handle production. Campbell, who directed the recent film adaptation, returns to guide this television iteration.

Dempsey marks his return to broadcast after starring as Dr. Derek Shepherd on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy for 11 seasons. He most recently appeared as Captain Aaron Spencer on Showtime’s Dexter: Original Sin.