Eric Dane, who played McSteamy on Grey’s Anatomy, dies
Eric Dane, best known for his roles as Dr. Mark Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy and Cal Jacobs on Euphoria, passed away at the age of 53 after battling ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).
Eric Dane, who played the brash Dr. Mark Sloan, aka “McSteamy,” on ABC’s medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy,” has died after a battle with ALS. He was 53 years old.
His representative, Melissa Banks, confirmed the news in a statement to USA TODAY on Thursday, February 19th.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share that Eric Dane passed away on Thursday afternoon after a courageous battle with ALS,” the statement said. “He spent his final days surrounded by his beloved friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia. They were the center of his world.”
“Through his battle with ALS, Eric has become a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same battle,” the statement continued.
People were the first to report the news.
Eric Dane ‘will be greatly missed,’ family says
“He will be greatly missed and will always be remembered with fondness,” the statement concluded. “Eric loves his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he has received. His family requests privacy as they work through this impossible time.”
Most recently, Dane had to miss his scheduled 2025 Emmy appearance with former co-star Jesse Williams due to Shonda Rhimes’ show’s 20th anniversary celebration.
“ALS is a nasty disease,” Dane said in an interview with The Washington Post in October. After taking a fall in the kitchen, he was “in the hospital for stitches in his head during the Emmy Awards ceremony.”
“I missed out on an opportunity that I was really looking forward to,” Dane said. “It would have been great to meet Jesse and reunite with my colleagues, and I think it would have been a special moment to be able to present in front of my colleagues. So I was really upset about it, but there was nothing I could do about it.”
Eric Dane’s standout role on Grey’s Anatomy
Dane was best known for playing Dr. Mark Sloan, a charismatic and flirtatious plastic surgeon at Gray Sloan Memorial, on Grey’s Anatomy from 2006 to 2012 (including a brief reprisal in 2021).
He first appeared on the medical drama as a guest star in Season 2, playing a plastic surgeon nicknamed “Dr. McDreamy” by his fellow trainees, opposite his former best friend Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey).
He was then cast as a series regular from season 3 to season 8, during which time his character fell in love with Lexi Gray (Chyler Leigh) and had a child with Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez). Dane’s character died in the Season 9 premiere after being injured in a plane crash in the Season 8 finale.
After leaving the role, he appeared on TNT’s action drama The Last Ship for five seasons from 2014 to 2018, playing Captain Tom Chandler.
The late actor lost his right arm due to ALS.
Dane revealed in an interview with People magazine in April 2025 that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He then revealed that he had lost the use of his right arm.
ALS, commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a rare degenerative disease that can affect the brain and spinal cord. Other stars who have battled ALS include the late R&B singer Roberta Flack, world-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, SpongeBob creator Stephen Hillenburg, and former U.S. Vice President Henry A. Wallace.
Three weeks before his death, Dane withdrew from an ALS Network gala “due to the physical realities of living with ALS,” the organization said in a statement to USA TODAY on Jan. 25. The actor was scheduled to receive the Dean Rasmussen and Kathleen Rasmussen Advocate of the Year award.
Dane met with Congressman Eric Swalwell in September to discuss ALS. In the video the California congressman shared to TikTok, Dane can be heard vowing to fight to the end.
“I’m going to ring all the bells,” Dane said. “I have two daughters at home (Billy, 15, and Georgia, 14, with wife Rebecca Gayheart). 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 issue to the end.”
Dane received a standing ovation after his performance of “Brilliant Mind”
Dane continued to work in Hollywood after announcing his diagnosis. He has played Cal Jacobs since his first appearance on the 2019 HBO drama Euphoria, and will reprise the role in the upcoming third season, which is scheduled for April 12th.
In one of his final roles, Dane played a firefighter diagnosed with ALS on NBC’s “Brilliant Minds.”
In an interview with USA TODAY ahead of the episode’s release in November, creator Michael Grassi talked about an “emotional” scene in which Dane’s character, Matthew, records a message about his evolving thoughts on asking for help.
“I’ve never seen anything like this happen in my career, but after filming that scene, he basically got a 10-minute standing ovation because it was so beautiful, so sincere, so real,” Grassi said. “Also, while his character finds courage, Eric also has a lot of courage to tell his story. Coming out and sharing this part of yourself is vulnerable, but it’s also very important, and I think it raises awareness and shows people that they’re not alone.”
Dane is survived by his wife, actress and model Rebecca Gayheart, and daughters Billie and Georgia.
Contributed by Erin Jensen and Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY
