Flood of tributes for actor, diagnosed with neurodegenerative disorder in April 2025
Eric Dane, the celebrated actor best known for his roles on Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria and who later in life became an advocate for ALS awareness, died on Thursday. He was 53.
His representatives said Dane died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disorder known also as Lou Gehrig’s disease, less than a year after he announced his diagnosis.
“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,” said a statement that requested privacy for his family.
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“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.”
Eric Dane’s advocacy for awareness started as soon as he announced his diagnosis with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in April 2025 with his plan to “navigate this next chapter” with his family. While his health struggles meant that he couldn’t be part of a Grey’s Anatomy reunion at the Emmys, he returned to network TV for a Brilliant Minds role that ended with him getting a standing ovation while filming.
The actor was perhaps once better known as “McSteamy” for his fan-favorite character on Grey’s Anatomy opposite Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo. Dempsey even opened up recently about staying in contact with Dane, wanting to get him on his new Fox show, Memory of a Killer, before the progression of his disease “made it impossible.”
While he recurred on shows like Charmed and Las Vegas in the early 2000s, debuting on ABC as Dr. Mark Sloan in 2006 was his big break on the small screen, and he’d go on to be credited with nearly 150 episodes of the medical drama. The popularity undoubtedly helped land his leading role on The Last Ship, an action drama that ran for an impressive five seasons on TNT.
Euphoria was his last major role before Countdown, and at the time of his diagnosis announcement last April, he revealed that he planned to return to the set in the near future. With the long-awaited return of Euphoria in the coming months of the 2026 TV schedule, fans will get to see how much he filmed while still able. Brilliant Minds is his final credit to have aired at the time of writing.
Hopefully fans and supporters of Dane will grant the family’s wish for privacy during this most difficult time. Our thoughts here at CinemaBlend are with his family, friends, and loved ones.
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