Eric Dane, an actor in hit shows Euphoria and Grey’s Anatomy, has died aged 53, less than a year after he publicly revealed he had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
Dane died on Thursday afternoon, his representatives announced in a statement. He first revealed in April that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a type of motor neurone disease.
“He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife [actor Rebecca Gayheart] and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world,” read the statement.
“Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight. He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received. The family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time.”
ALS is the most common form of motor neurone disease, which means the terms are often used interchangeably. It is a terminal degenerative disorder that causes people to lose the use of their limbs and ability to speak, swallow and eventually breathe independently.
There is no cure; those with motor neurone disease die, on average, 27 months after diagnosis, but some patients can live decades – like Stephen Hawking, who was diagnosed with a slow-progressing form of the disease at the age of 21 and lived to 76.
Dane played Dr Mark Sloan, or “McSteamy”, in Grey’s Anatomy, initially signing for just one episode before becoming a series regular for six seasons. He most recently appeared in the HBO drama Euphoria as Cal Jacobs, the father of Jacob Elordi’s character.
Dane will appear in the upcoming third season of Euphoria, having filmed it in a wheelchair due to his health.
“I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of Euphoria next week,” he told People in April after announcing his diagnosis. “I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”
Euphoria creator Sam Levinson paid tribute to Dane on Thursday, telling Variety: “I’m heartbroken by the loss of our dear friend Eric. Working with him was an honor. Being his friend was a gift. Eric’s family is in our prayers. May his memory be for a blessing.”
Dane was born in San Francisco in 1972. When he was seven, his father died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. “I never realised how cognizant and aware I was at the time until I had my own kids … [it] must have been devastating at the age of seven,” he once told an interviewer.
He dropped out of high school one month before graduation to take acting classes in Los Angeles, and made his onscreen debut on a 1991 episode of Saved by the Bell. Future roles included turns in The Wonder Years, Married … With Children, Charmed, Roseanne and medical drama Gideon’s Crossing, before he was cast in Grey’s Anatomy, appearing in 145 episodes between 2006 and 2021.
Dane later appeared in films including X-Men: The Last Stand, Marley & Me, Valentine’s Day, Burlesque and Bad Boys: Ride or Die. He also starred in and produced five seasons of The Last Ship, a post-apocalyptic drama in which he played the captain of a US Navy warship looking for a cure to a global pandemic. The show went on hiatus in 2017 to give Dane time to address his depression.
In January, Dane was set to receive an award from the ALS Network for raising awareness of the disorder, but dropped out at the last minute due to not being “well enough to attend” and appeared in a pre-taped message instead.
ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease in North America, named for the Yankees baseball player who was diagnosed with the condition in 1939.
