Ashton Kutcher and Selma Blair lead heartbroken stars paying tribute to Eric Dane as actor dies age 53 after ALS battle

Eric Dane's celebrity friends and former castmates have been left heartbroken over his death at age 53, with Ashton Kutcher and Selma Blair leading emotional tributes to the late actor. 

The Euphoria star's passing was confirmed by his loved ones on Thursday in a statement to People - less than one year after he announced his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis. 

Dane was known for a multitude of roles throughout his Hollywood career, including his portrayal of Dr. Mark Sloan (also known as McSteamy) on Grey's Anatomy. 

Kutcher took to X shortly after learning the devastating news of Dane's passing and wrote, 'The Franklin strip fanatics fantasy football league will miss Mr. Eric Dane.

'We know you'll be watching from the booth. Miss you, buddy. Let's keep fighting the fight to solve ALS.' 

Kutcher and Dane had previously starred together on the 2010 rom-com film Valentine's Day. 

Blair reposted a clip to her Instagram stories from @eric_dane_fan which showed her and Dane in the show Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane.

In text added towards the top of the reel, the actress - who is currently battling multiple sclerosis (MS) - wrote, 'I love you. And yours.'

Blair was referencing to a scene in the series where their characters accidently took each other's books. 

Nina Dobrev shared a message to her Instagram stories alongside a behind-the-scenes image of Dane. The pair had previously worked on the 2022 movie Redeeming Love.

She penned, 'Heartbroken to hear about the passing of Eric. He was warm, generous, prepared, and so passionate about what he did.

'He led with kindness and made everyone on our set feel seen. ALS is a cruel and unforgiving disease.' 

The Vampire Diaries alum added, 'May his memory inspire more research, awareness, and progress toward a cure. He will be deeply missed. Sending love and heartfelt condolensces to his family.' 

Sam Levinson - the creator of the HBO Max series Euphoria - has also broken his silence on the late star's death. Dane had played the role of Cal Jacobs on the series.

'I'm heartbroken by the loss of our dear friend Eric. Working with him was an honor,' Levinson told Variety.

'Being his friend was a gift. Eric's family is in our prayers. May his memory be for a blessing.'

Alyssa Milano also took to Instagram to share a moving tribute to Dane - whom she starred with on the series Charmed. 

'I can't stop seeing that spark in Eric's eye right before he'd say something that would either make you spit out your drink or rethink your entire perspective.' 

She added, 'He had a razor-sharp sense of humor. He loved the absurdity of things. He loved catching people off guard.

'And when it came to his daughters and Rebecca, everything in him softened. He carried them with him even in rooms where they weren't present. You could see it in the way his voice changed when he said their names. A breathtakingly beautiful family.' 

Milano also recalled that Dane had 'convinced me to get my pixie cut and my nose piercing. 

'He also was with me on the walk when we found Lucy, my beloved rescue chihuahua. He called me "Milano," as if it was the only part of my name that mattered.'

The actress concluded with, 'My heart is with the people who were lucky enough to be his home.' 

Milano also uploaded a photo of Dane with his family as well as a throwback image of them on Charmed. 

Maria Shriver additionally penned a moving tribute on Instagram alongside a black and white photo of the late actor. 

'I'm heartbroken by this devastating news about Eric Dane. What a tragedy. He was so heroic the way he handled his diagnosis. He used his voice to let the world know what it was like living with ALS.'

She continued, 'I was honored he chose my publishing imprint to publish his memoir. He told me he wanted his family to know how much he loved them, and he wanted to leave them a story they could be proud of. 

'My love goes out to his family, and to all those battling this cruel disease, as well as all those caring for someone battling it. Godspeed, Eric. It was an honor to know you, and we will honor your story. ♥️.'

Late last year in December, it was revealed that the actor had been set to release a memoir about the challenges of ALS.

Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments was announced to be be released under Shriver's The Open Field, a subset of Penguin Random House, sometime in 2026 - although an official date had yet to be confirmed.

Grey's Anatomy star Kevin McKidd reposted an image of Dane on the hit medical drama series with the text: 'Rest in peace buddy.'

John Stamos penned a tribute on Instagram as he penned, 'RIP, Buddy. Me and @realericdane played brothers years ago in a beautiful movie called, Wedding Wars. Good guy. Too soon. Xo J.' 

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

'He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world.' 

They added, 'Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight.

'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 family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time.'

The award-winning actor is survived by his two teenage daughters, Billie Beatrice, 15, and Georgia Geraldine, 13, and his wife, Rebecca Gayheart.

ALS is 'a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord' and can 'cause loss of muscle control,' per Mayo Clinic. 

Dane announced his diagnosis with the disease last year in April. 

By June, he revealed to ABC News - in what would become his final interview before his death - that he had lost the function of his right arm and hand.

'I I feel like maybe a couple, few more months, and I won't have my left hand [functioning] either,' Dane told Diane Sawyer.

The TV star added that he was worried about his impending inability to use his legs, which he said was 'sobering.'

By September, Dane was in a wheelchair.

In the same interview, he said he first began noticing symptoms of what was later diagnosed as ALS more than a year earlier.

'I didn't really think anything of it at the time. I thought maybe I'd been texting too much or my hand was fatigued,' he recalled. 

'But a few weeks later, I noticed it had gotten a little worse, so I went and saw a hand specialist, who sent me to another hand specialist.'

After he was referred to two different neurologists, Dane was finally diagnosed with ALS. 'I'll never forget those three letters,' he declared.

Dane, who was born in San Francisco on November 9, 1972, suffered an early tragedy when his father died by suicide, leaving Dane's mother to raise him and his brother by herself, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

His early acting credits include appearances in Saved By The Bell, The Wonder Years, Roseanne and Married... with Children, but his big break came in 2000 when he was cast in a recurring role in Gideon's Crossing. 

He then went on to land the role of Jason Dean in Charmed.

In 2005, Dane made a fateful guest appearance on Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Mark Sloan.

His character garnered such an overwhelming response from viewers in his debut episode that he was promoted to a series regular for the show's third season.

Dane went on to appear on the medical drama until the eighth season, when his character resigned, although he returned fleetingly in season nine before Dr. Mark was killed off.

More recently, Dane starred as Jacob Elordi's on-screen dad in the HBO series, Euphoria, which premiered in 2019.

In April, he confirmed that he would be returning to the show as Cal Jacobs for its third and final season.

His other recent film work includes roles in Redeeming Love (2022), the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence–starring Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024), One Fast Move (2024) and Borderline (2025). 

Dane also took on a guest role as a firefighter with ALS in an episode of Brilliant Minds which aired late last year.