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Maria Sherman
February 20, 2026 — 1:53pm
NEW YORK: Eric Dane, the celebrated actor best known for his roles on Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria and who later in life became advocate for ALS awareness, died on Thursday (US time). He was 53.
His representatives said Dane died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known also as Lou Gehrig’s disease, less than a year after he announced his diagnosis.
“He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the centre of his world,” said a statement that requested privacy for his family. “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.”
Dane’s big break arrived in the mid-2000s, when he was cast as Dr Mark Sloan, aka McSteamy, on the medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, a role he would play from 2006 until 2012 and reprise in 2021. In 2019, he did a complete 180 and became Cal Jacobs, a troubled married man, in HBO Max’s provocative drama Euphoria, a role he continued in up until his death.
Dane also starred as Tom Chandler, the captain of a US Navy destroyer at sea after a global catastrophe wiped out most of the world’s population, in the drama The Last Ship. In 2017, production was halted as Dane battled depression.
In April 2025, Dane announced he had been diagnosed with ALS, a progressive disease that attacks nerve cells and the 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 authorisation. “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, recognising his commitment to raising awareness and support for people living with ALS.
A memoir by Dane, Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments, is scheduled to be published in 2026.
“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.”
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