Eric Dane was candid about his sobriety journey earlier than his dying from ALS at age 53.
Dane beforehand revealed he struggled with substance abuse whereas he was starring on Gray’s Anatomy. The actor performed Dr. Mark Sloan, often known as McSteamy, for eight seasons.
“If you happen to take the entire eight years on Gray’s Anatomy, I used to be f***ed up longer than I used to be sober. And that’s when issues began going sideways for me,” Dane recalled throughout a June 2024 interview on Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Knowledgeable” podcast. “It was overwhelming, and I believe I simply needed to faux that it wasn’t and that I used to be snug with it. Act such as you’ve been there, however you haven’t been there.”
Dane finally obtained sober after going to a remedy facility in 2011. In April 2025, Dane revealed that he was identified with ALS. After publicly battling the situation for greater than a 12 months, Dane died in February 2026.
Dax Shepard and Eric Dane as soon as practically got here to blows at an Alcoholics Nameless assembly. Shepard, 50, recalled the time that he and Dane, 52, virtually obtained right into a struggle at a males’s group through the Monday, June 23, episode of his “Armchair Knowledgeable” podcast with visitor Brad Pitt. “Eric Dane, who I now f***ing (…)
“With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane handed on Thursday afternoon following a brave battle with ALS,” the assertion learn. “He spent his last days surrounded by expensive pals, his devoted spouse, and his two stunning daughters, Billie and Georgia, who have been the middle of his world,” Dane’s household mentioned in an announcement to Us Weekly. “All through his journey with ALS, Eric grew to become a passionate advocate for consciousness and analysis, decided to make a distinction for others going through the identical struggle. He shall be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered at all times. Eric adored his followers and is eternally grateful for the outpouring of affection and assist he’s obtained. The household has requested for privateness as they navigate this unimaginable time.”
Hold scrolling for Dane’s trustworthy quotes about his sobriety journey.
Eric Dane Had a Relapse Whereas ‘Gray’s Anatomy’ Was on Pause
Eric Dane recalled how he had a relapse whereas Gray’s Anatomy was halted as a result of 2007 Author’s Strike
“I’m not good with numerous time on my fingers,” he informed Brad Falchuk in a Well-known Final Phrases interview which aired in February 2026 earlier than Dane’s dying. “I want construction and (Gray’s Anatomy) supplied numerous construction for me. After we stopped quick for the writers’ strike, I had months off and I discovered my manner again to medicine and alcohol. I knew higher as a result of at the moment I had been sober for about 9 years, so I knew higher.”
Eric Dane Left ‘Gray’s Anatomy’ Throughout His Habit Struggles
Eric Dane recalled being “let go” from Gray’s Anatomy amid his habit battle. The actor clarified that he wasn’t fired from the drama due to his private points.
“Though it undoubtedly didn’t assist. I used to be beginning to grow to be, as most of those actors who’ve spent vital time on a present, you begin to grow to be very costly for the community,” he defined throughout a June 2024 look on Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Knowledgeable” podcast. “And the community is aware of that the present goes to do what it’s going to do no matter who they carry on it. So long as they’ve their Gray, they’re effective.”
Eric Dane and Dax Shepard Virtually Obtained Right into a ‘Struggle’ at AA
Whereas showing on Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Knowledgeable” podcast in June 2024, Eric Dane recalled a tense second the pair had at an AA assembly.
“Someone I introduced … who most likely shouldn’t have been on the assembly … didn’t cease, was droning on,” Dane recalled. “Dax’s pal … saved resetting this timer each time the man would go over. The timer went off, like, seven instances.”
Dane shared that after he threatened to set the particular person “ablaze,” he and Shepard went outdoors to “struggle within the driveway.” Their sponsor stopped the argument from escalating into an altercation. Shepard added that he and Dane finally bonded over their shared love of automobiles and the truth that they carry “the very same bag of bulls***.”
How Eric Dane’s Struggles Impressed His ‘Euphoria’ Character
On EuphoriaEric Dane performed Cal Jacobs, who’s the daddy of Jacob Elord’s character Nate. Whereas Cal struggled along with his sexuality, Dane shared that he channeled his expertise with hiding his substance abuse points.
“Effectively, Cal and I are very related in that we all know what it’s like to steer a double life,” he mentioned in his Well-known Final Phrases interview in February 2026. “I’ve had expertise with that with my battle with medicine and alcohol. I do know what it’s prefer to not have my insides match my outdoors.”