Tributes pour in for actor Eric Dane following his death

The "Grey's Anatomy" and "Euphoria" star died Thursday at age 53, less than a year after announcing that he was diagnosed with ALS.

Eric Dane at the St. Regis in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 30, 2025.Marvin Joseph / The Washington Post via Getty Images file

Feb. 20, 2026, 11:37 AM EST / Updated Feb. 20, 2026, 4:34 PM EST

By Mirna Alsharif and Samantha Cookinham

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Tributes are pouring in for actor Eric Dane, best known for his roles on “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria,” following his death Thursday.

Dane died at age 53, less than a year after announcing he was diagnosed with ALS, a fatal disease that affects the nervous system.

The actor's family announced his death through a representative 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,” the family said.

Dane's most recognized work is his seven-season run on medical drama "Grey's Anatomy" as Dr. Mark Sloan. Dane's character soared to popularity and became a series regular after appearing on the second season, earning the nickname "McSteamy" by show loyalists.

Dane's character was injured in a plane crash at the end of the eighth season and died in the beginning of the ninth.

Eric Dane and Patrick Dempsey on "Grey's Anatomy" in 2008.Eric McCandless / Disney via Getty Images

Actor Patrick Dempsey, who starred alongside Dane on the show as Dr. Derek Shepherd, spoke about his friend on Virgin Radio UK's "The Chris Evans Breakfast Show."

"He was the funniest man," Dempsey told Evans. "He was such a joy to work with and I want to just remember him in that spirit because any time he was on set, he brought so much fun to it. He had a great sense of humor. He was easy to work with. We got along instantly."

Dempsey said that he was in contact with Dane up to a week before his death and that the actor had been bedridden and was losing his ability to speak and swallow.

"He’s wickedly intelligent and I’m always going to remember those moments of fun that we had together and celebrate the joy that he did bring to people’s lives, and the real loss is for us who don’t have them anymore," Dempsey said.

"Grey's Anatomy" creator Shonda Rhimes shared a video tribute to Dane on Instagram on Friday, calling him "a beloved member of the Shondaland and Grey’s Anatomy families."

"He was truly a gifted actor whose portrayal of Dr. Mark Sloan left an indelible mark on the series and on audiences around the world," the statement read.

Dane also starred in HBO's "Euphoria" as Cal Jacobs, the father of actor Jacob Elordi's character, Nate Jacobs.

HBO announced that Dane will be appearing in the show's third season posthumously, which will premiere in April.

Speaking about the show's upcoming season in an unaired, unnamed documentary co-produced by nonprofit I AM ALS, Dane spoke about shooting a wedding reception scene where he had to appear very drunk.

"And I was like, 'People are going to think I'm brilliant,'" Dane said. "Because I already sound like I'm drunk. I don't need to act."

Dane called living with the disease "uncharted territory."

"I'm learning as I go," Dane said in the documentary clip. "I'm just trying to like walk through this thing with as much grace and dignity as I can so I can show my kids, 'This is how you do this.'"

Eric Dane and Jacob Elordi in "Euphoria" season 1. — Eric Dane and Jacob Elordi in "Euphoria" Season 1.HBO

"We are deeply saddened by the news of Eric Dane’s passing. He was incredibly talented and HBO was fortunate to have worked with him on three seasons of Euphoria," an HBO spokesperson said in a statement.

"Euphoria" creator Sam Levinson said he is "heartbroken" by Dane's death.

"Working with him was an honor," Levinson said in a statement shared by his publicist. "Being his friend was a gift."

Alyssa Milano, who starred alongside Dane in "Charmed," recalled the actor's "razor-sharp sense of humor" in an Instagram post on Thursday.

"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," Milano said about Dane, paired with a picture of him; his wife, Rebecca Gayheart; and their daughters.

"And when it came to his daughters and Rebecca, everything in him softened," Milano wrote. "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."