Sure enough, Dempsey's career picked up speed the moment he started venturing outside of his comfort zone. His recurring guest spot as the mentally unbalanced wayward brother on ABC's fractured family drama Once and Again earned him an Emmy nomination in 2001. He memorably played the dashing New York scion who didn't get the girl in 2002's Sweet Home Alabama. Then came an acclaimed stint as an accused wife killer on The Practice. Suddenly Dempsey had found his niche on the small screen portraying romantically damaged Alpha guys.