Eric Dane, known for roles in Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria, died at 53 on February 19. His demise comes 10 months after he announced the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis.
His death was confirmed to People in a statement from the actor’s family. “With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon,” the statement read.
It noted that Dane, who had wowed audiences playing Dr. Mark Sloan — a.k.a. McSteamy on Grey’s Anatomy had passed after his struggles with ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
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“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. 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,” the statement continued.
When Dane had announced his ALS diagnosis, he’d told the publication “I have been diagnosed with ALS. I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.”
What is ALS?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS is a nervous system disease that impacts nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It causes the loss of muscle control as per Mayo Clinic.
This disease gets worse over time. It is often called Lou Gehrig’s after the basketball player who was diagnosed with it. A cause for ALS is not known and in some cases it is hereditary.
Mayo Clinic further notes that ALS begins with muscle twitching and weakness in the arm or leg. One might even have trouble swallowing or slurred speech. ALS eventually impacts control of the muscles that one needs to move, speak, eat and breathe. There’s no cure for this fatal disease.
Dane, even after announcing his ALS diagnosis, had assured that he’d continue filming Season 3 of the Sydney Sweeney-starrer, Euphoria.
Who was Eric Dane?
Dane was born in San Francisco in 1972. His father died of a gunshot wound when he was seven. Dane found acting accidentally, and spoke to Gulf Times about it, saying “I was a water polo player in high school and my season was short, and I ended up getting roped into playing Joe Keller in All My Sons. Dead serious. And I fell in love with it. I was, like, this is the greatest feeling ever!”.
He moved to Los Angeles after graduation and had guest spots on shows like Roseanne and Married… with Children. He then appeared on two seasons of Charmed and landed The Basket as his first film. In 2006 the Mark Sloan role came along, and the love of fans made McSteamy a mainstay over the seasons. He left the show in 2012, and noted he was struggling with addiction at the time and was basically ‘let go’.
Dane was married to actress Rebecca Gayheart since 2004. They have two daughters together – Billie and Georgia, who were born in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Gayheart filed for divorce in 2018 but again filed to have it dismissed in 2025. Dane’s net worth is estimated to be around $7 million as per Celebrity Net Worth.