- Eric Dane died at 53 after a year-long battle with ALS, confirmed on February 19
- He was best known for his role as Dr Mark Sloan on Grey's Anatomy starting in 2006
- Dane was an advocate for ALS awareness and research during his illness
Eric Dane, best known for popular shows such as Grey's Anatomy and Euphoria, has died after a year-long battle with the neurogenerative disease ALS. He was 53. The news was confirmed by his representative, Melissa Bank, in a statement shared with US media on Thursday, February 19.
"With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS. 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," the actor's representative said in the statement.
Eric Dane shot to fame in the 2000s with Grey's Anatomy for his role of Dr Mark Sloan AKA McSteamy, a charming, philandering plastic and reconstructive surgeon who was very popular with the ladies.
Eric Dane was born on November 9, 1972, in San Francisco. His father was an architect and his mother was a homemaker, as per his biography on IMDB.com.
He married actor Rebecca Gayheart in 2004. The two share daughters, Billie Beatrice, born in 2010, and Georgia Geraldine, born in 2011. They separated in 2018 after 14 years of marriage. However, last March, shortly before Eric Dane went public with his ALS diagnosis, Rebecca Gayheart moved to dismiss her divorce filing, reported People citing legal documents.
Eric Dane began his acting career in 1993 with a small role on The Wonder Years, a coming-of-age TV series. But his big break came in 2006 with Grey's Anatomy, which started out as a guest role in the show's season two. Dr Mark Sloan AKA McSteamy became a series regular and appeared on the long-running medical drama till 2012 with guest appearances in seasons 2, 9, and 17.
Over the years, he appeared in shows like Charmed and films such as Marley & Me, X-Men: The Last Stand, Open Water 2: Adrift, American Carnage and Bad Boys: Ride or Die, but none of these characters could trump McSteamy.
How Eric Dane's Dr Mark Sloan AKA McSteamy Became A Pop Culture Icon
Eric Dane's biggest breakthrough came with Grey's Anatomy. He joined the show in Season 2 as Dr Mark Sloan, a confident plastic surgeon from New York. Fans gave him the nickname McSteamy. It started as a fun moment on the show. But it quickly turned into a pop culture tag. At the time, Grey's Anatomy was one of the biggest shows on American television. Needless to say, Eric Dane became one of its most talked-about faces.
His character died in Season 9 after the plane crash storyline. Even after his exit, fans continued to talk about Mark Sloan. The hospital on the show was later renamed Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, keeping the character's memory alive.
Back in 2019, Eric Dane reflected on his Grey's Anatomy character, saying that Mark Sloan was someone who enjoyed life to the fullest. The actor shared, "I think Mark Sloan was just looking to have fun all the time. And one of the ways Mark Sloan liked to have fun was to connect with people sexually," as quoted by Entertainment Tonight.
A Different Shade Of Prime Time With Euphoria
While Eric Dane never went away, it wasn't the same after he exited Grey's Anatomy. Years later, Eric Dane returned to major prime-time success with Euphoria. On the show, he played Cal Jacobs, the father of Jacob Elordi's Nate. Cal was very different from Mark Sloan. He was strict, troubled and emotionally complicated. He struggled with identity, family pressure and secrets from his past.
Eric Dane's performance received praise. Many viewers felt it showed a new side of him as an actor. He was expected to appear in the upcoming third season. The upcoming season will introduce a five-year time jump and is set to debut on Sunday, April 12 at 9 p.m. on HBO and Max.
Eric Dane's Battle With ALS Battle And What He Shared
In April 2025, Eric Dane revealed that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive condition commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease.
"I have been diagnosed with ALS,” Dane told People at the time. “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.”
In December 2025, the actor made what would become his final public appearance during a virtual Giving Tuesday panel alongside I AM ALS and Synapticure co-founders Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya.
During the discussion, Eric Dane emphasised the importance of raising awareness and helping people better understand the disease.
"I make sure that people are aware of what ALS is and what it's about, and more importantly, what we can do to combat it and improve the landscape, because it's so rocky and littered with hurdles and bureaucracy and all this other nonsense that we're trying to sift through so we can get to a place where we go, start working on solution," Eric Dane said.
Eric Dane was also set to receive the Dean and Kathleen Rasmussen Advocate of the Year Award in January but missed the ceremony due to his ALS battle.
Will Eric Dane Appear in Euphoria Season 3?
Eric Dane's death comes at a pivotal time for the HBO series. The highly anticipated third season of Euphoria is slated to premiere on April 12. After experiencing several setbacks, cameras finally began rolling in February 2025.
At this point, HBO has not released a formal statement clarifying how the show plans to address the actor's absence or whether he had completed filming his portions before his health worsened.
Also Read | Grey's Anatomy, Euphoria Star Eric Dane Dies At 53 After ALS Battle
