Grey’s Anatomy, Euphoria star Eric Dane passes away at 53 after battle with ALS | Hollywood News
3 min readUpdated: Feb 20, 2026 09:06 AM IST
Renowned actor Eric Dane, who rose to global fame with his role as Dr Mark Sloan aka McDreamy in the widely popular medical drama television series Grey’s Anatomy, has passed away after a long battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He was 53 and breathed his last on Thursday, February 19.
In a statement issued to PEOPLE, his family confirmed Dane’s demise, noting, “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 centre of his world.”
Hailing from San Francisco, the actor was born in 1972 as the son of a Navy man. Dane lost his father at the age of seven. “He was a Navy man and ended up becoming an architect and interior designer. He was a troubled soul,” he said in a 2014 Gulf Times interview.
Eric Dane in Grey’s Anatomy.
In April 2025, Dane announced that he had been diagnosed with ALS. For the unversed, ALS, formerly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a neurological disorder that affects motor neurons, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). In the months that followed, his family said the actor became a passionate advocate for awareness and research on the disorder, wishing to bring about changes in the lives of those battling it.
Dane married actor Rebecca Gayheart in 2004, with whom he had two daughters, Billie and Georgia, born in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Although Gayheart reportedly filed for divorce in 2018, she moved to have it dismissed in March 2025. Describing their relationship as “a very complicated one that’s confusing for people,” Gayheart once wrote in New York magazine, “Our love may not be romantic, but it’s a familial love.”
She also revealed that although they never got divorced, they dated other people and lived separately. “Eric knows that I am always going to want the best for him. That I’m going to do my best to do right by him. And I know he would do the same for me. So whatever I can do or however I can show up to make this journey better for him or easier for him, I want to do that,” she added.
Aside from Grey’s Anatomy, Dane was also known for his performances in Euphoria, Marley & Me, Valentine’s Day, Burlesque, and Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
