Eric Dane passes away at 53 years old

Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons

On Feb. 19, actor Eric Dane passed away from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) after announcing his diagnosis about a year ago. People Magazine released a statement from his family, saying, "He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world."

The Mayo Clinic defines ALS as “a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. ALS causes loss of muscle control. The disease gets worse over time.” The condition currently has no known cause and often begins in the hands, arms, feet, or legs. As of right now, ALS has no successful cure, as reported by the Mayo Clinic. AP News reported that most patients pass away from ALS within three to five years of their diagnosis. 

Amidst his diagnosis, Eric Dane became a prominent advocate for ALS. On Jan. 24, Dane was honored by the ALS Network's Champions for Cures and Care Gala as the recipient of the Dean and Kathleen Rasmussen Advocate of the Year Award, according to USA Today. Although Eric Dane could not physically attend the gala to accept the award because of ALS symptoms, he said in a prerecorded acceptance speech, "This award is not just for me, it's for my beautiful loved ones who are fighting with me, and it's for every person who has faced ALS with courage."

Dane was well known for his role as Dr. Mark Sloan, otherwise known as “McSteamy,” on Grey’s Anatomy (2005- ). McSteamy was beloved by fans of the show and many mourned his on-screen death. He spoke about his time on the show by saying, “It was a fun show. It was new for us and it was exciting. We were on this juggernaut of a television show that was in every country and that everybody watched,” according to CNN. 

Many of his Grey’s Anatomy (2005- ) co-stars expressed their sadness and reminisced on Dane’s life after his passing. BBC reported that Patrick Dempsey, known on the show as Dr. Derek Shepherd, said, "He was the funniest man – he was such a joy to work with and I want to just remember him in that spirit because any time he was on set, he brought so much fun to it. He had a great sense of humour." Kim Raver, who stars as Dr. Teddy Altman, said, "During filming he'd get this twinkle in his eye and with a mischievous look, he would deliver with perfect comedic timing, a line of dialogue that would floor you." 

He was also well known for his role in Euphoria (2019- ) as Cal Jacobs. CNN reported that Sam Levinson, the creator of Euphoria (2019- ), spoke on his passing by saying, “Working with him was an honor. Being his friend was a gift.”

Prior to his passing, Dane announced that he would be publishing a memoir in late 2026. According to AP News, the title of the memoir is Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments and it will reflect on many significant moments throughout his life. Speaking on the content of his memoir, he said, “I wake up every morning, and I’m immediately reminded that this is real — this illness, this challenge and that’s exactly why I’m writing this book…I want to capture the moments that shaped me — the beautiful days, the hard ones, the ones I never took for granted — so that if nothing else, people who read it will remember what it means to live with heart. ”