Main points
- Eric Dane, known for his roles in “Grey's Anatomy” and “Euphoria,” has died at the age of 53 after battling ALS.
- Dane began his career in 1991, and starred in many TV series and films, including “The Last Ship,” where he was also a producer.
Eric Dane died after a courageous fight with ALS / Photo NBC
Eric Dane, best known for his role on Grey's Anatomy, has died at the height of his popularity. He was only 53 years old.
The actor died on Thursday afternoon, February 19. He spent his last days surrounded by close friends, his wife and daughters, The Guardian and CNN reported.
What is known about the death of Eric Dane?
In April 2025, Eric Dane announced that he was battling ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).
In an interview with ABC in June, he said it all started with “weakness in my right arm.”
I don't think this is the end of my story. In my heart I don't feel this is the end of me,
– said the actor.
In October, Dane visited Washington, D.C., with the nonprofit I AM ALS, to support continued funding for ALS research. In the U.S. capital, he spoke of hope: “I have two daughters. I want to see them graduate from college, get married, maybe have children. I want to be there for them. So I'm going to fight until my last breath.”
Background : ALS is a fatal degenerative disease that leads to loss of control of the limbs, as well as the ability to speak, swallow and eventually breathe independently. There is no cure. On average, people with the disease live about 27 months after diagnosis, although some patients can live for decades – like Stephen Hawking, who was diagnosed with the slow form of the disease at age 21 and lived to be 76.
Who is Eric Dane?
Dane was born in San Francisco in 1972. When he was seven years old, his father committed suicide.
The young man left school a month before graduation to go to Los Angeles to study acting.
Eric's first screen debut took place in 1991 in the series “Saved by the Bell.”
He later starred in films such as The Wonder Years, Married with Children, All Women Are Witches, Roseanne, and the medical drama Gideon's Crossroads, and from 2006 to 2021 he appeared in 145 episodes of Grey's Anatomy.
Dane later starred in the films “X-Men: The Last Stand”, “Marley & Me”, “Valentine's Day”, “Burlesque” and “Bad Boys: All or Nothing”.
He also starred in and produced five seasons of the post-apocalyptic series The Last Ship, in which he played the captain of a U.S. warship searching for a cure for a global pandemic. The series was put on hold in 2017 to allow the actor time to seek treatment for depression.
In 2019, he played Cal Jacobs, the strict and distant father of Nate's character, in the series Euphoria. He returned to the role in the second season and was scheduled to appear in the third and final season.
In the fall, he appeared in an episode of “Bright Minds,” where he played a firefighter who suffered from ALS.
Who else has died recently?
- On Monday, February 16, Robert Duvall, known for the film “The Godfather”, died at the age of 95. He was the winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film “Tender Mercy” in 1984.
- On February 11, James Van Der Beek, the actor on Dawson's Creek, died at the age of 48 from colorectal cancer. He made history as a star of television series.
- Actress Catherine O'Hara died of illness on January 30. She won an Emmy Award for her role as Moira Rose in “Schitt's Creek,” and was perhaps most famous for the film “Home Alone.”