Eric Dane, the actor who rose to fame as as Dr. Mark Sloan — or McSteamy — on Grey’s Anatomy, has died at 53, his family confirmed Thursday.
Dane had been open about his diagnosis of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), in the year before his death.
“With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS,” his family shared in a statement Thursday to People. “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.”
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In April 2025, Dane announced he had been diagnosed with ALS, a progressive disease that attacks nerve cells controlling muscles throughout the body. Photo credit:Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock
Dane was born on November 9, 1972 in San Francsico and attended school in Redwood City and San Mateo. His father, a Navy man, died of a gunshot wound when he was 7. After high school, he moved to Los Angeles to purse acting, landing guest roles on shows like “Saved by the Bell,” “The Wonder Years,” “Roseanne,” “Married…With Children,” “Charmed” and “X-Men: the Last Stand,” and one season of the short-lived medical drama “Gideon’s Crossing.”
His big break arrived in the mid-2000s, when he was cast in “Grey’s Anatomy,” a role he would play from 2006 until 2012 and reprise in 2021. He endeared himself to fans, bringing a sense of lovable mischief as the sexy doctor foil to Patrick Dempsey’s more grounded character Dr. Derek Shepherd, or “McDreamy.”
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“Grey’s Anatomy,” co-star Ellen Pompeo shared her feelings about Dane in video for the ALS Network Champions for Cures & Care Gala, a cause he championed before his death.
“I remember when he came in as McSteamy and us having instant electric chemistry, and I immediately just fell in love with him,” Pompeo said.
Pompeo and Dempsey both supported his efforts to raise awareness about ALS.
“I think he’s been incredibly courageous in the face of this horrible disease,” Dempsey told Parade last year. “He’s such a wonderful human being. He has such a great sense of humor, and he’s so intelligent. I’ve always enjoyed working and being around Eric.”
After “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2019, Dane did a complete 180 and became Cal Jacobs, a troubled married man, in HBO’s provocative drama, “Euphoria,” a role he continued in up until his death.
Dane also starred as Tom Chandler, the captain of a U.S. Navy destroyer at sea after a global catastrophe wiped out most of the world’s population, in the TNT drama “The Last Ship.” In 2017, production was halted as Dane battled depression.
Dane told the Gulf Times, he fell into acting, and was hooked.
“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 said.
But over the years, he felt conflcited about his calling, he admited.
“When I love it, I love it more than anything,” he told the Gulf Times. “And when I’m not feeling it, I have a deep disdain for it. I don’t know if I can articulate exactly why, but I think with anything there’s a balance, and you can’t have an intense amount of love for something if you don’t have the polar opposite of that for it.”
In April 2025, Dane announced he had been diagnosed with ALS, a progressive disease that attacks nerve cells controlling muscles throughout the body.
ALS gradually destroys the nerve cells and connections needed to walk, talk, speak and breathe. Most patients die within three to five years of a diagnosis.
Dane became an advocate for ALS awareness, speaking a news conference in Washington on health insurance prior authorization. “Some of you may know me from TV shows, such as “Grey’s Anatomy,” which I play a doctor. But I am here today to speak briefly as a patient battling ALS,” he said in June 2025. In September of that year, the ALS Network named Dane the recipient of their advocate of the year award, recognizing his commitment to raising awareness and support for people living with ALS.
A memoir by Dane is scheduled to be published in 2026. “Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments” will be released by Maria Shriver’s The Open Field, a Penguin Random House imprint. According to Open Field, Dane will look back upon key moments in his life, from his first day at work on “Grey’s Anatomy” to the births of his two daughters and learning that he has ALS.
“I want to capture the moments that shaped me — the beautiful days, the hard ones, the ones I never took for granted — so that if nothing else, people who read it will remember what it means to live with heart,” Dane said in a statement around the book’s announcement. “If sharing this helps someone find meaning in their own days, then my story is worth telling.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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