Eric Dane, ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star, Dies at 53

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Eric Dane has died nearly one year after publicly announcing his ALS diagnosis. The actor was 53.

Eric Dane passed away on Thursday, February 19th, after a battle with ALS, his family announced. According to a statement, he was surrounded by loved ones – his wife and daughters, Billie and Georgia – who meant everything to him, during his final days.

Throughout his battle with ALS, Eric dedicated himself to raising awareness and supporting research, hoping to help others facing the same challenges. He will be greatly missed and fondly remembered. Eric cherished his fans and was incredibly thankful for all the love and support he received. The family asks for privacy as they grieve this difficult loss.

In April 2025, Dane publicly shared that he had been diagnosed with ALS, a disease also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a devastating illness that progressively damages nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. This damage leads to muscle weakness, eventually causing people to lose the ability to speak, move, and breathe on their own. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for ALS.

Eric Dane is most famous for playing Dr. Mark Sloan, nicknamed ‘McSteamy,’ on the TV show Grey’s Anatomy. He first appeared in a few episodes in 2006, during the show’s second season, and then became a main character starting in season three. His character left the show during the ninth season.

Dane was born in San Francisco on November 9, 1972. In the early 1990s, he moved to Los Angeles and began his television career with an appearance on Saved by the Bell in 1991.

Throughout his television career, he’s been in many shows, including popular series like The Wonder Years, Married… With Children, Charmed, Brilliant Minds, and Euphoria. He first appeared in Euphoria in 2019, playing the father of Nate Jacobs (played by Jacob Elordi). He’s expected to appear in the show’s third season, which will premiere on April 12th, even though he has passed away.

As a movie fan, I always enjoyed seeing Dane on screen. He popped up in a bunch of films I loved, like X-Men: The Last Stand, the heartwarming Marley & Me, and even the musical Burlesque. I was excited to see him in the latest Bad Boys movie too, and he also did a smaller role in Borderline. It’s really sad knowing his final project, Family Secrets, is still being finished up and will be released after his passing.

The Most Intense Medical TV Shows Ever Made

Casualty (1986- )

It’s a well-known joke in the acting world that many successful British actors got their start with small roles on the medical drama Casualty. As the longest-running primetime medical show globally—with over 1,300 episodes—Casualty has a history of dramatic storylines over its nearly four decades on air. While not every episode is action-packed, the show has featured everything from drones colliding with helicopters to an underwater amputation and even a mishap involving a young Tom Hiddleston accidentally knocking someone over during a rappel. These kinds of events are all in a day’s work for the staff at Holby City Hospital’s emergency room.

ER (1994-2009)

You know, everyone talks about how ER made George Clooney a star, and it totally did, but man, that show was just insane. It was almost always set in the ER of Cook County General, so you knew the doctors were dealing with the most extreme cases. And it was constantly trying to outdo itself – one week someone gets hit by a train, the next there’s a shootout in the waiting room! Seriously, they’d have a character lose an arm to a helicopter blade, and then, just for kicks, kill him with another helicopter the next season. It was wild!

The Kingdom (1994-1997, 2022)

For fans of Danish director Lars von Trier – known for intense and often disturbing films like Antichrist and Melancholia – he also created a TV series called The Kingdom (or Riget). The show centers on the unusual happenings and staff within the neurosurgery department of Copenhagen’s Rigshospitalet, where they encounter both bizarre medical cases and supernatural events. Riget ran for three seasons, with the latest premiering in 2022 and featuring Alexander Skarsgård. Interestingly, an American adaptation called Kingdom Hospital briefly aired in 2004 and was developed by horror master Stephen King.

Nip/Tuck (2003-2010)

Ryan Murphy became well-known thanks to shows like Glee and American Horror Story, but his early success came with Nip/Tuck. This groundbreaking series centered on the founders of a plastic surgery practice willing to go to any lengths to fulfill their clients’ wildest requests. The show was known for its shocking storylines – one patient performed a self-mastectomy with an electric knife, another with multiple personalities wanted separate surgeries, and a dangerous criminal was targeting women with implants. Bradley Cooper gained recognition for his role as a character injured while attempting a risky act.

House (2004-2012)

Any list of great medical dramas has to include House, and the show is experiencing a resurgence in popularity online thanks to the “out of context house m.d.” account on Twitter/X. Each episode featured a mysterious medical case that stumped everyone except the incredibly smart, but cynical, Dr. Gregory House. He wasn’t known for his people skills – often committing social blunders – but he always seemed to get to the bottom of things, and famously knew a lot about lupus.

Grey’s Anatomy (2005- )

We couldn’t leave out Grey’s Anatomy, the popular medical drama famous for its intense personal relationships and shocking medical cases. Fans are constantly hooked, whether they’re following the romantic lives of the doctors or watching them deal with unbelievable emergencies – like a man attacked by a lion, a couple impaled by a pole, or a patient with dangerously toxic blood. Seriously, what’s going on in Seattle?!

Call the Midwife (2012- )

Okay, so don’t let the whole ‘British period drama’ thing fool you – Call the Midwife is seriously intense. As a medical show, it’s way more stressful than you’d expect, especially when you remember how dangerous pregnancy and childbirth used to be. These aren’t just simple deliveries; we’re talking about everything from polio and leprosy to the effects of thalidomide and even schizophrenia. And it’s set in one of the poorest parts of London, where getting medical help could literally be the difference between life and death for these families. It’s a powerful show, honestly.

The Knick (2014-2015)

Steven Soderbergh’s The Knick offers a stark contrast to Call the Midwife, taking place at the very beginning of the 20th century when medicine was a drastically different field. The show follows Dr. John W. “Thack” Thackery (Clive Owen) as he tackles one incredibly challenging medical case after another, highlighting the remarkable ingenuity, skill, and sheer luck doctors relied on before modern medical knowledge existed. Be warned: it’s also very graphic, with a significant amount of blood.

Doctor Odyssey (2024- )

Okay, so I just started watching this show called Doctor Odyssey, and it’s wild. It’s a medical drama, but it takes place on a cruise ship – and every week they’re on a totally different themed voyage. You’d think a cruise would be relaxing, but these passengers attract every medical emergency imaginable. We’re talking everything from weird buffet-related illnesses to, seriously, post-shark attack amputations! And get this – the main character, Dr. Max Bankman, played by Joshua Jackson, casually drops that he was actually the very first Covid case in America! Honestly, after hearing that, I’d be signing up for a permanent stay on any cruise ship far, far away.

The Pitt (2025- )

Hospitals are full of unexpected events, and the new medical drama The Pitt aims to capture that reality. The show stars Noah Wyle, known for his role on ER, as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, a seasoned doctor at a Pittsburgh hospital’s emergency room. Each episode follows a single, real-time hour – from 7 AM to 9 PM – showing Dr. Robby and his team as they handle a constant stream of serious and unusual cases. From gruesome injuries like degloved feet to strange illnesses caused by everyday products, the doctors jump right into action to save lives.

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2026-02-20 09:57