Eric Dane, 'Grey's Anatomy' star and ALS awareness advocate, dies at 53

Eric Dane, the celebrated histrion champion known for his roles connected “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria” and who aboriginal successful beingness became an advocator for ALS awareness, died Thursday. He was 53.

His representatives said Dane died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known besides arsenic Lou Gehrig’s disease, little than a twelvemonth aft helium announced his diagnosis.

“He spent his last days surrounded by beloved friends, his devoted wife, and his 2 beauteous daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the halfway of his world,” said a connection that requested privateness for his family. “Throughout his travel with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocator for consciousness and research, determined to marque a quality for others facing the aforesaid fight. He volition beryllium profoundly missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is everlastingly grateful for the outpouring of emotion and enactment he’s received.”

Dane developed a devoted fanbase erstwhile his large interruption arrived successful the mid-2000s: He was formed arsenic Dr. Mark Sloan, aka McSteamy, connected the ABC aesculapian play “Grey’s Anatomy,” a relation helium would play from 2006 until 2012 and reprise successful 2021.

Although his quality was killed disconnected connected the amusement aft a level crash, Dane’s quality near an indelible people connected the still-running show: Seattle Grace Hospital became Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

In 2019, helium did a implicit 180 from the charming McSteamy and became the troubled Cal Jacobs successful HBO’s provocative play “Euphoria,” a relation helium continued successful up until his death.

Dane besides starred arsenic Tom Chandler, the skipper of a U.S. Navy destroyer astatine oversea aft a planetary catastrophe wiped retired astir of the world’s population, successful the TNT play “The Last Ship.” In 2017, accumulation was halted arsenic Dane battled depression.

In April 2025, Dane announced helium had been diagnosed with ALS, a progressive illness that attacks nervus cells controlling muscles passim the body.

ALS gradually destroys the nervus cells and connections needed to walk, talk, talk and breathe. Most patients dice wrong 3 to 5 years of a diagnosis.

Dane became an advocator for ALS awareness, speaking a quality league successful Washington connected wellness security anterior authorization. “Some of you whitethorn cognize maine from TV shows, specified arsenic 'Grey's Anatomy,' which I play a doctor. But I americium present contiguous to talk concisely arsenic a diligent battling ALS," helium said successful June 2025. In September of that year, the ALS Network named Dane the recipient of their advocator of the twelvemonth award, recognizing his committedness to raising consciousness and enactment for radical surviving with ALS.

Dane was calved connected Nov. 9, 1972, and raised successful Northern California. His father, who the histrion said was a Navy seasoned and an architect, died of a gunshot coiled erstwhile Dane was 7. After precocious school, helium moved to Los Angeles to prosecute acting, landing impermanent roles connected shows similar “Saved by the Bell,” “Married...With Children,” “Charmed” and “X-Men: the Last Stand,” and 1 play of the short-lived aesculapian play “Gideon’s Crossing.”

A memoir by Dane is scheduled to beryllium published successful precocious 2026. “Book of Days: A Memoir successful Moments” volition beryllium released by Maria Shriver’s The Open Field, a Penguin Random House imprint. According to Open Field, Dane's memoir covers cardinal moments successful his life, from his archetypal time astatine enactment connected “Grey’s Anatomy” to the births of his 2 daughters and learning that helium had ALS.

“I privation to seizure the moments that shaped maine — the beauteous days, the hard ones, the ones I ne'er took for granted — truthful that if thing else, radical who work it volition retrieve what it means to unrecorded with heart," Dane said successful a connection astir the book. "If sharing this helps idiosyncratic find meaning successful their ain days, past my communicative is worthy telling.”

Dane is survived by his wife, histrion Rebecca Gayheart, and their 2 teen daughters, Billie Beatrice and Georgia Geraldine. Gayheart and Dane wed successful 2004 and separated successful September 2017. Gayheart filed for divorcement successful 2018, but aboriginal filed to disregard the petition. In a December effort for New York magazine’s The Cut reflecting connected Dane’s diagnosis, Gayheart called their dynamic “a precise analyzable relationship, 1 that’s confusing for people.” She said they ne'er got a divorce, but dated different radical and lived separately.

“Our emotion whitethorn not beryllium romantic, but it’s a familial love,” she said. “Eric knows that I americium ever going to privation the champion for him. That I’m going to bash my champion to bash close by him. And I cognize helium would bash the aforesaid for me. So immoderate I tin bash oregon nevertheless I tin amusement up to marque this travel amended for him oregon easier for him, I privation to bash that.”

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