Watch a clip of Eric Dane playing an ALS patient in ‘A Brilliant Mind’
Eric Dane, who previously played Dr. Mark Sloan on “Grey’s Anatomy,” will make his debut in “A Brilliant Mind,” playing an ALS patient.
Eric Dane has no plans to quit acting, even as he battles amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Following his appearance on “Brilliant Minds,” the “Euphoria” actor appeared on a panel discussion hosted by the I am ALS organization on Tuesday, Dec. 2, to discuss his story and the disease.
During the panel discussion, the actor said he has no problem playing other roles that revolve around ALS. “As an actor, I’m quite limited in what I can do physically, but I still have my brain and I can give speeches, so I’m willing to do anything. I’ll take on any role. From now on, I have to focus on ALS. It will be very difficult to play other roles,” he said.
“That’s fine,” he added. “I am grateful to still be able to work in any capacity.”
After nearly a decade playing flirtatious orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy, Dane returned to the medical drama genre on the Nov. 24 episode of Brilliant Minds, marking his first role since revealing his diagnosis in April.
He played a father who is a firefighter and has ALS, which causes progressive degeneration of nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain. This was the first time he had portrayed something he was working on directly, and it became emotionally difficult to differentiate between his own experiences and those of the character.
Still, Dane said the role was cathartic, both as an actor and as a person. “There were some moments where it was difficult to get my lines out, but overall I’m really grateful for the experience,” he added.
Eric Dane says he’s glad he found the strength to fight ALS
Following his diagnosis, Dane said he had every right to crawl into bed and cry for two weeks straight.
“There’s no reason for me to be good any day, any time,” Dane said. “I was a little bit pleasantly surprised to find out that I didn’t have that build, because I was sure that was going to be me.”
The actor added that he was inspired by his strong spirit in the face of adversity and how he managed to stand up for his loved ones. “It’s imperative that I share my journey with as many people as possible because I feel like my life is no longer my own,” he said. “And I had to wrestle with that because I’m a pretty selfish person and I want my life to be all about me.”
“(But) if that’s the case, I don’t think we can move forward,” Dane added.
In addition to speaking openly about her battle with the debilitating disease, Dane has sought to spread awareness about the thousands of others affected by the disease. On September 29th, as an ambassador for I Am ALS, he met with Congressman Eric Swalwell to discuss the disease, where he vowed to fight to the death.
“I want to ring every bell,” he said in a speech in Washington, D.C. “I have two daughters at home. I want to see them graduate from college, get married, and maybe have grandchildren. I want to be there for all of that. So I’m going to fight this to the end.”
