2026 has had a number of tragic celebrity deaths, and shortly after Catherine O'Hara passed away, Grey's Anatomy star Eric Dane died at age 53 following a battle with ALS. Ever since then tributes to Dane have been rolling in, especially by his costars. The latest of these came from the late actor's neighbor, who had no idea that he was living next to McSteamy. Let's break it down.
Dane was a former Grey's Anatomy star who remained synonymous with playing Mark Sloan aka McSteamy years after his exit from the show (which is streaming with a Hulu subscription). Personal trainer Ben Bruno recently took to Instagram to share what it was like living down the street from the Last Ship star, offering:
Eric wasn’t a client. He lived on my street and was an amazing neighbor. He never talked or bragged about himself, so when I first moved into my house I didn’t even know he was an actor. I just knew him as a chill guy who loved crushing weights like a bro, and he loved sports—so we hit it off immediately. We’d lift weights together sometimes at my house and do yoga and recovery stuff at his house because he had all the gadgets. Then one day a female friend of mine pulled into the driveway while he and I were lifting and she damn-neared fainted when she saw him…and that’s when I learned that he was McSteamy 😂❤️
Honestly, relatable. If i showed up at someone's house and saw Dr. Mark Sloan in front of me I probably would have fainted. He was one of my absolute favorite characters on Grey's Anatomy, and I wouldn't have been able to keep it together if I surprisingly met Eric Dane... especially if he was in the midst of lifting weights.
Bruno's tribute to the late actor also came with a video of Dane working out from just a few years ago. It shows how brutal ALS can be, and why the late actor became an advocate for those with the disease. Later in the same post, McSteamy's neighbor spoke about his character, offering:
He was an unconditionally positive guy who was always trying to give me helpful advice to grow my business and connect me with his actor friends to train with me, which I was so appreciative for. Any time one of the athletes I trained had a good game, I could count on a prompt text from Eric congratulating them.
How sweet is that? While Dane got a standing ovation for one of his final roles, it sounds like he was also happy to give credit where credit was due. So when he saw one of Ben Bruno's clients have a good game, he was sure to give his neighbor his flowers. It certainly sounds like they had a lovely friendship.
The personal trainer spoke more about the juxtaposition between Eric Dane's status as a heartthrob and the friend and neighbor he knew. The same post reads:
I always thought it was funny that he was a heartthrob actor because he was just so normal and kind. Seeing all the tributes to him today, I’m realizing that he was the same nice guy to everyone that he was to me and everyone else on our street.
This type of strength of character is likely why so many of the late actor's friends and colleagues have come out to share stories about him after his death. A GoFundMe account is raising money to support his family, and a ton of donations have been rolling in. On top of his many iconic performances, Eric Dane's legacy also includes the kind way he treated those around him.
Prior to his death, Eric Dane filmed Euphoria Season 3, which will debut April 12th on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. Our thoughts continue to be with his loved ones during this difficult time.
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