Eric Dane dead at 53: Grey's Anatomy star dies after courageous battle with ALS... less than a year after announcing diagnosis

Eric Dane, who was catapulted to fame after starring as the heartthrob McSteamy on Grey's Anatomy, has died at 53.

The actor's death was announced on Thursday, less than a year after he revealed that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

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

'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 continued. '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,' their statement concluded.

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, leading to loss of muscle control and paralysis as it gets worse over time, per the Mayo Clinic. 

Dane announced his diagnosis with the disease 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 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 October, 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. 

Born on November 9, 1972, Dane moved to Los Angeles at the age of 21 to pursue a career in Hollywood.

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.

'I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to [the] set of Euphoria,' he said in a statement to People.

On the big screen, Dane appeared in array of huge titles, including Marley & Me (2008), Burlesque (2010), and Americana (2023).

In 2010, he starred alongside Jessica Alba, Kathy Bates, Jessica Biel, and Bradley Cooper in the romcom, Valentine's Day.

Earlier this year, Dane appeared in Jimmy Warden's directorial debut, Borderline with Samara Weaving and Ray Nicholson.

Dane had been open about his declining health, first revealing his ALS diagnosis in April.

'I have been diagnosed with ALS,' he told People at the time. 'I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.'

In his interview with Diane Sawyer for Good Morning America in June, Dane spoke about how he was processing his health battle. 

'I wake up every day, and I'm immediately reminded that this is happening,' he said. 'It's not a dream.'

Meanwhile, Dane's wife Rebecca opened up about how their family was dealing with his 'heartbreaking' diagnosis.

She said that their teenage daughters were talking to therapists as their father battled with the progressive neurodegenerative disease.

'I mean, it's heartbreaking,' she told People. 'My girls are really suffering, and we're just trying to get through it. It's a tough time.

'We have some professional therapists who are helping us, and we're just trying to have some hope and do it with dignity, grace and love.'

Dane wed Rebecca in 2004. They were married for 14 years before she filed for divorce in 2018, however, the pair called off the split seven years later.

His announcement about his diagnosis came a month after Rebecca requested to dismiss her divorce filing.

'I mean, we're definitely dealing with something that has brought us all together, and Eric will always be my family, whether we're married or not, or living in the same house or not, but yeah, we are closer, but we don't like the reason why,' she said.

'It's a horrible disease, and I wish that there was a cure. I hope they find one soon, because it is just so sad.'

In September, Dane was notably absent from the Emmys despite a previously announced appearance to reunite with his Grey's Anatomy co-star Jesse Williams to present an award.

Williams ended up presenting alone onstage and made no mention of Dane's absence.

A day later, Dane made a virtual appearance as he revealed he partnered up with the nonprofit organization I AM ALS.

In the video, he encouraged people to donate for the cause to find a cure.

'I'm Eric, an actor, a father and now a person living with ALS,' he said in the video.