Eric Dane, star of Grey's Anatomy and Euphoria, has opened up about a heartbreaking health diagnosis he was recently given.
The 52-year-old actor, best known for his role as Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy, shared in a statement to PEOPLE that he's been diagnosed with ALS.
“I have been diagnosed with ALS,” Dane said. “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.”
Despite the diagnosis, the actor says he isn’t stepping away from his career just yet. The Euphoria star confirmed he’s heading back to work on the show’s long-anticipated third season, which resumed filming in January after a years-long delay.
“I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of EUPHORIA next week,” he shared. “I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”
Dane plays Cal Jacobs, the complex and controversial father of Nate Jacobs, portrayed by Jacob Elordi. He’s scheduled to begin filming his scenes on April 14, according to the publication.
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a rare neurodegenerative condition that destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, gradually robbing people of their ability to move, speak, eat, and eventually, breathe. The cause of ALS is unknown, although some cases are hereditary.
According to the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes (NINDS), early symptoms of the disease include muscle twitches in the arm, leg, shoulder, or tongue, cramps, tight or stiff muscles, muscle weakness, slurred or nasal speech, and difficulty chewing and swallowing.
Per the Muscular Dystrophy Association, life expectancy following diagnosis typically ranges from three to five years, though some patients live much longer.
Dane did not disclose when he was diagnosed. He now joins a growing list of well-known figures who have battled the disease, including Stephen Hawking, Roberta Flack, Kenneth Mitchell, Joe Bonsall, Aaron Lazar, Eric Stevens, and John Driskell Hopkins.
Dane and wife Rebecca Gayheart, 53, share two daughters: Billie Beatrice, 15, and Georgia Geraldine, 13.
In January, the couple quietly called off their divorce - seven years after Gayheart had filed to end their marriage. The pair originally wed in October 2004 in Las Vegas.
Even while separated, Dane and Gayheart remained connected. They were often spotted together and even took a European vacation with their daughters in 2022.
“I never had a family, and now I do,” Dane told PEOPLE in 2020. “I know I’m a very lucky guy.”