It seems like death has been in the air in the acting world recently.
Actor Eric Dane, who starred in the hit show Grey’s Anatomy, has died at the age of 53.
Dane’s death comes just nearly a year after he was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lough Gehrig’s disease.
People broke the sad news and provided further details on Dane’s death:
Eric Dane has died at the age of 53, PEOPLE confirms. Dane became a star with his role as Dr. Mark Sloan — a.k.a. McSteamy — in Grey’s Anatomy. Dane’s death comes 10 months after he went public with his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
Dane died Thursday, Feb. 19, the actor’s family confirms to PEOPLE. “With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS,” reads a statement from Dane’s family. “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.”
“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.”
Fans of Dane shared their condolences on X:
ALS is so unforgiving and the progression was so swift. My heart goes out to Eric Dane’s family.
— Minnie (@saintdutchess) February 20, 2026
2026 has started brutally when it comes to celebrity deaths. Eric Dane was excellent in everything he was in, but especially Euphoria. Perfect casting. ALS is simply awful. https://t.co/lfOpmEyERU
— Courtney Finnicum (@courtney883) February 20, 2026
Fox News provided a biography of Dane’s life and acting career:
Born and raised in San Francisco, Calif., Dane kick-started his career in the early 1990s with small guest roles in beloved sitcoms such as “Saved By the Bell” and “The Wonder Years.” It wasn’t until 2000 that he landed his breakthrough role as Jason Dean on “Charmed,” which he portrayed during the show’s third season.
Dane’s professional life took a dramatic turn, however, when he made his debut as Dr. Mark Sloan (“McSteamy”) on “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2006.
But despite his success, Dane was dealing with something much bigger: an addiction to drugs and alcohol.
“If you take the whole eight years I was on ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ I was f—ed up longer than I was sober and that was when things started going sideways for me,” he admitted to host Dax Shepard during an appearance on the “Armchair Expert” podcast in 2024.
Before his departure from the show in 2012, Dane went to rehab for an addiction to painkillers.
“I didn’t leave [“Grey’s Anatomy”] so much as I think I was let go,” he told Shepard. “I was struggling. They didn’t let me go because of that, although it definitely didn’t help.”
After his run on “Grey’s Anatomy,” Dane took on the leading role of Captain Tom Chandler on the TNT series “The Last Ship” from its premiere in June 2014 through its final season in 2018.
During his run, Dane took another break from production for personal reasons: he was battling depression.
“That was a scary thing, when you wake up, and you’re like: ‘I don’t want to get out of bed,’” he said during an appearance on the “Today” show in 2017. “I was seeing these doctors thinking that there was something physically wrong with me, because I’d never felt like that.”
“I mean, I’d dealt with depression throughout my life, but it was always manageable,” he said. “I just felt like, you know, everybody kind of feels a little blue. But this just hit me like a truck. I had to take some time off — I went away, I took care of it, and I’m feeling great.”
In April 2025, Dane announced his ALS diagnosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
“I have been diagnosed with ALS,” he said in a statement to People at the time. “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter. I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of ‘Euphoria’ next week. I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”
During an interview on “Good Morning America” in June 2025, Dane said he was prepared to go to great measures to fight ALS.
