Grey's Anatomy star Eric Dane dies at 53 after ALS diagnosis

Eric Dane, the actor best known for his roles on Grey's Anatomy and Euphoria, has died less than a year after revealing he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He was 53.

Dane starred as family patriarch Cal Jacobs on hit HBO teen drama show Euphoria. Before that, he was perhaps best known as Dr Mark Sloan, or 'Dr McSteamy', on medical drama Grey's Anatomy.

The California-born actor was diagnosed in 2025 with ALS and spent the last few months raising awareness for the most common form of motor neurone disease (MND).

His family said in a statement: "With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS."

Dane was married to fellow actress and model Rebecca Gayheart, with whom he had two children.

The statement said he spent his final days surrounded by friends and his devoted wife, and his two daughters, Billie and Georgia, "who were the center of his world".

"He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he's received."

The actor was born in San Francisco in 1972 and made his television debut in the Wonder Years in 1993.

Dane also went on to star as Jason Dean in fantasy drama series Charmed, and Captain Tom Chandler in action drama show The Last Ship, while appearing in films such as Marley & Me, Valentine's Day and Burlesque.

Dane's Grey's Anatomy co-stars led tributes to the late actor.

Kim Raver - who plays doctor Teddy Altman in the series - said: "During filming he'd get this twinkle in his eye and with a mischievous look, he would deliver with perfect comedic timing, a line of dialogue that would floor you."

Kevin McKidd, who plays trauma surgeon Owen Hunt, posted "rest in peace buddy" on Instagram.

Euphoria creator Sam Levinson told Variety: "I'm heartbroken by the loss of our dear friend."

"Working with him was an honor. Being his friend was a gift," he said.

Ashton Kutcher, who starred alongside him in 2010's Valentine's Day, also paid tribute on social media: "Miss you, buddy. Let's keep fighting the fight to solve ALS."

Nina Dobrev meanwhile said Dane "led with kindness and made everyone on our set feel seen". The pair starred together in 2022's Redeeming Love.

"He was warm, generous, prepared, and so passionate about what he did," she wrote on Instagram. "ALS is a cruel and unforgiving disease. May his memory inspire more research, awareness, and progress toward a cure."

Since sharing his diagnosis in April 2025, Dane often spoke publicly about living with the progressive condition.

In June, he told ABC's Good Morning America that the diagnosis had made him "angry" because he had lost his father, who died by suicide, as child: "There's a very good chance I'm going to be taken from my girls while they're very young."

What is ALS?

According to the NHS, MND "encompasses several different conditions whose common feature is the premature degeneration of motor nerves (known as neurons or sometimes neurones)".

It says nearly 90% of patients with MND have the mixed ALS form of the disease.

Also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rare degenerative disease that causes progressive paralysis of the muscles.

There is no cure for ALS, and, according to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, people usually live for three to five years after diagnosis although some can live for decades.