Celebrity4 min(s) read
Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria star Eric Dane dies aged 53 after ALS diagnosis - he made one incredible final act
Eric Dane, the actor beloved by millions as Dr. Mark Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy and Cal Jacobs on HBO’s Euphoria, has died at the age of 53 following a battle with ALS.
The star first revealed his diagnosis in April 2025 after months of testing, having initially noticed weakness in his right hand in early 2024 and assuming he had simply “been texting too much or my hand was fatigued”.
By June, he had lost use of his right arm. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a rare and incurable motor neuron disorder that affects around 5,000 Americans each year. Symptoms often progress rapidly and are difficult to detect in the early stages. Life expectancy typically ranges from three to five years, but Dane’s decline was described as swift and painful.
In the months before his death on Thursday at 53 amid a battle with ALS, Dane delivered what many now see as an extraordinary final on-screen act. He portrayed a man battling the very illness that was reshaping his own life.
He played a firefighter facing ALS in one of his final roles
In November, the Grey's Anatomy star appeared in a guest role on NBC's Brilliant Minds as a heroic firefighter battling ALS. Dane played Matthew, a veteran firefighter with ALS who wrestles with how to reveal the diagnosis to his adult daughter and ex-wife.
In the episode, Matthew’s breathing began to worsen, leading Dr. Oliver Wolf, played by Zachary Quinto, to suggest that he should lean on his support system. Matthew resisted. He considered skipping Thanksgiving dinner so as not to worry his family. He also pushed back against using a voice-banking app because he struggled to imagine a future in which he couldn’t speak.
After further sessions with Wolf and the interns, Matthew began to open up. He discussed his ALS with loved ones over Thanksgiving dinner and received a heartfelt tribute from his New York Fire Department family.
The episode closed not with Wolf’s usual monologue, but with Matthew’s emotional recorded message. In it, Matthew said: “The act of rescue is often linked to things like heroism and bravery, but for guys like me, I've always looked at it as an act of caring. I guess I never thought of myself as the one who needed to be cared for. But I know now that even on my hardest of days, you and your mom will be there to save me from any fires that may come our way.”
“Sometimes the most heroic thing you can do is not running into a burning building. Sometimes, it's quieter, smaller, and in a way even harder, at least for me,” he continued, sharing that accepting help from his daughter and mom was one of the biggest challenges.
“For me, this is the bravest thing I've ever done, and it's scary as hell,” he concluded tearfully. “But it is worth it if it means more time with you.”
Fans were left in tears after the episode aired. One wrote, “Eric Dane is breaking my heart.” Another added, “Crying with eric dane in this series,” while a third praised him for doing a “Beautiful job.”
His memoir and advocacy
Beyond acting, Dane turned inward and began working on a memoir titled Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments. The book will be published under Maria Shriver’s imprint, The Open Field. It reflects on his early days on Grey’s Anatomy, the births of his daughters, his journey to sobriety, and the courage it took to confront ALS publicly.
He also worked on a documentary project centered on ALS, aiming to raise awareness and highlight the urgent need for research.