Grey’s Anatomy actor Eric Dane dead at 53 after ALS battle
Diagnosed less than a year ago, the American actor turned his final months into a powerful crusade for ALS awareness
Actor Eric Dane, who played the handsome Dr Mark Sloan on the hit television series Grey’s Anatomy, died on Thursday aged 53, his family said, less than a year after revealing that he suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.
For 15 years, Dane played a plastic surgeon nicknamed “McSteamy” by female characters in the show. He also starred in the series Euphoria, and said after the diagnosis he would still return to the set for its third season.
“Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS,” his family said in a statement, according to People magazine and other media.
“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.”
ALS is a progressive disease in which a person’s brain loses connection with the muscles. It is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the Hall of Fame baseball player who died from it in 1941 at age 37.
“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,” Dane’s family added.