Fans were heartbroken earlier this year when Eric Dane — best known for his roles on Grey’s Anatomy or Euphoria, depending on which generation you ask — revealed that he’d been diagnosed with ALS, requesting privacy as he and his family processed the news. The actor gave an update on his condition Monday, and while he said he’s continuing to fight, he became emotional and admitted that the diagnosis makes him angry.
Two months after revealing he has the neurodegenerative disease, Eric Dane sat down with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America, where he told her he’s completely lost use of his right arm. He can still use his left hand, but he expects that to be gone in just a couple of months, and he’s worried about his legs. He was calm but shed some tears during the interview, as he explained one big reason he’s upset about his ALS diagnosis:
I’m angry because my father was taken from me when I was young, and now there’s a very good chance I’m going to be taken from my girls while they’re very young.
Eric Dane’s father died by suicide when he was 7 years old, so he knows too well the pain of losing your dad. It’s absolutely gutting to hear that one of his biggest concerns is causing his teenage daughters similar pain. The actor shares 15-year-old Billie and 13-year-old Georgia with actress Rebecca Gayheart, who he married in 2004.
The family had a scary experience a couple of months ago while snorkeling, he recalled, when he jumped into the ocean before realizing he was not strong enough to swim. His daughter had to save him and help him back to the boat, where he said he broke down in tears.
The love for his daughters is obvious, but Eric Dane said this has also brought him and Rebecca Gayheart closer together and that they talk every day. In 2018 she filed for divorce from the actor, but the end of their marriage was never made official. She withdrew the paperwork in March, just weeks before Dane went public with his ALS. He said:
We have managed to become better friends and better parents. She is probably my biggest champion and my most stalwart supporter, and I lean on her.
It’s great that he’s got so much support at home during this difficult time. I’d imagine that’s helped him maintain hope, as he said he’s not giving up:
I don’t think this is the end of my story. In my heart, I don’t feel like this is the end for me. I’m fighting as much as I can. There’s so much about it that’s out of my control.
Despite the daily challenges he’s facing, Eric Dane said he just wants to spend time with his family, but he also wants to work a little if he can. Even as he revealed his diagnosis in April, he said he was preparing to return to set for Euphoria Season 3. He’s also got a new show Countdown hitting the 2025 TV schedule on June 25.
The upcoming crime drama — which wrapped filming in March of this year and will be available with an Amazon Prime Video subscription — stars Jensen Ackles as LAPD detective Mark Meachum, who joins a task force to investigate the murder of a Homeland Security officer.
Despite the fact that it’s been 13 years since Eric Dane appeared on Grey’s Anatomy regularly (Mark Sloan and Lexie Grey returned for a surprise cameo in 2021 after being killed off after the Season 8 plane crash), he still continues to be a fan favorite and even a part of the fictional hospital’s name — Grey Sloan Memorial.
All of Eric Dane’s Grey’s Anatomy episodes can be streamed with either a Hulu subscription or Netflix subscription if you want to relive the adventures of the surgeon commonly known as “McSteamy.”
In the meantime we’re wishing for the best for Eric Dane and his family during this time.
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