American actor Eric Dane, who starred in some of the most successful television series of the past 20 years, has died at the age of 53.
The star is best known for his roles as Dr. Mark Sloan on the long-running medical drama Grey’s Anatomy and as the Jacobs family patriarch on the teen hit Euphoria.
He also had notable roles in the films Burlesque, Marley and Me, and Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
Eric Dane is survived by his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, and two daughters, Billie (left) and Georgia. (Getty Images: Astrid Stawiarz)
Dane died less than a year later from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, her representatives said. after he announced his diagnosis.
ALS is the most common form of motor neuron disease (MND), a degenerative disease that causes progressive paralysis of muscles.
“He spent his final days surrounded by his dear friends, devoted wife, and two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world,” his representative said in a statement requesting privacy for his family.
“Through his battle with ALS, Eric was a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same battle.
“He will be greatly missed and always remembered with fondness. Eric loved his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he received.”
From actor to ALS advocate
Eric Dane (right) and Patrick Dempsey are best known for their roles as Dr. Mark Sloan, also known as “McSteamy,” on Grey’s Anatomy. (Getty Images: Eric McCandless)
Dane was born on November 9, 1972 and grew up in California. His father, a Marine, died from a gunshot wound when he was seven years old.
After high school, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting, guest starring on shows such as Saved by the Bell, Married with Children, Charmed, X-Men: The Last Stand, and one season of the short-lived medical drama Gideon’s Crossing.
His big break came in the mid-2000s when he was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan, also known as “McSteamy,” on ABC’s medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, a role he played from 2006 to 2012 and reprized in 2021.
In 2019, he played Cal Jacobs, a troubled married man, in HBO’s provocative drama Euphoria, a role he continued to play until his death.
Dane also starred in the TNT drama The Last Ship as Tom Chandler, the captain of a U.S. Navy destroyer at sea after a global catastrophe wipes out most of the world’s population. Production was halted in 2017 as Dane battled depression.
In April 2025, Dane announced that he had been diagnosed with ALS. ALS gradually destroys the nerve cells and connections needed to walk, speak, speak, and breathe. Most patients die within 3 to 5 years of diagnosis.
Mr. Dain spoke at a news conference in Washington about health insurance pre-authorization and became an activist to raise awareness of ALS.
“Some of you may know me from TV shows like ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ where I play a doctor, but I’m here today to speak briefly as a patient battling ALS,” he said in June 2025.
In September of the same year, the ALS Network named Dane the recipient of its Advocate of the Year award for his efforts to raise awareness and support people living with ALS.
Dane’s memoir is scheduled to be published this year. Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments is released by Maria Shriver’s The Open Field, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
According to Open Field, Dane will be looking back at key moments in his life, from his first day working on Grey’s Anatomy to the birth of his two daughters and the day he learned he had ALS.
“I want to capture the moments that shaped me, the beautiful days, the difficult days, the days I didn’t take for granted. Most of all, I hope that those who read this book will remember what it means to live with heart,” Dane said in a statement accompanying the book’s publication announcement.
“If sharing this helps someone else find meaning in their days, then my story is worth telling.”
“A very complicated relationship”
Eric Dane (pictured with Janelle Shirtcliff) and his wife did not divorce, but they both dated other people and lived separately. (Getty Images: Robin L. Marshall)
Dane is survived by his wife, actor Rebecca Gayheart, and two teenage daughters, Billy Beatrice and Georgia Geraldine.
Gayheart and Dane married in 2004 and separated in September 2017. Gayheart filed for divorce in 2018, but later filed for dismissal.
In a December essay for New York magazine’s The Cut reflecting on Dane’s diagnosis, Gayheart called their relationship “a very complicated and confusing relationship.”
She stated that they did not divorce, but were dating other people and living apart.
“Our love may not be romantic, but it’s a familial love,” she said.
“Eric knows that I always want the best for him. I’m going to do the best for him, and I know he’ll do the same for me.
“So anything I can do to make this journey better for him or easier for him, in any way, that’s what I want to do.”
ABC/AP