The cast of Grey’s Anatomy has reacted to Eric Dane’s heartbreaking death at the age of 53 after a battle with ALS.
Dane played Mark “McSteamy” Sloan for seven seasons on the hit medical drama, from Season 3 in 2006 to the start of Season 9 in 2012.
He co-starred with Ellen Pompeo (Meredith Grey), Patrick Dempsey (Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd), Kate Walsh (Addison Montgomery Shepherd), Katherine Heigl (Izzie Stevens), Sandra Oh (Christina Yang), Justin Chambers (Alex Karev), T.R. Knight (George O’Malley), Jesse Williams (Jackson Avery), and more. His seven year run.
Kevin McKidd, who plays fellow Grey’s doctor Owen Hunt, led the tributes by posting a photo of Dane in scrubs. “Rest in peace buddy,” McKidd wrote on her Instagram Story.
Sarah Drew, who played Dr. April Kepner on Grey’s for nine seasons, also shared the same photo on her Instagram Stories, writing, “Rest In Peace.”
Dane announced his ALS diagnosis in April 2025 and passed away on Thursday.
His loved ones shared the shocking news in a statement to People magazine Thursday night.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share that Eric Dane passed away on Thursday afternoon after a courageous battle with ALS,” they wrote.
Mr Dane’s family added: “He spent his final days surrounded by his dear friends, devoted wife and two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia. They were the center of his world.”
The Euphoria alum’s family also described how Dane became “determined to make a difference for others facing the same battle” during his battle with ALS and became a “passionate advocate for awareness and research.”
“He will be greatly missed and will always be remembered with fondness,” they concluded. “Eric loves his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he has received. His family requests privacy as they work through this impossible time.”
Dempsey opened up about Dane’s shocking battle with ALS in an interview with Parade, less than a month after his beloved former co-star passed away.
The Memory of a Killer star said he had been texting with Dane “a few weeks ago” and revealed that Dane’s diagnosis made it “virtually impossible” for him to guest star on the new Fox show.
“It’s very difficult for him, but I always try to keep in touch and see how he’s doing,” Dempsey said in an interview in January. “I think he was incredibly courageous in the face of this terrible disease.”
“He’s a really great human being,” he added last month. “He has a great sense of humor and is very smart. I always enjoy working with and being around Eric.”
Meanwhile, Pompeo just recently revealed a private conversation he shared with Dane shortly after learning of his debilitating ALS diagnosis.
“As soon as I heard about his diagnosis, I texted him and said, ‘If you want to talk, I’m here,'” the actress recalled in a prerecorded message shared at the ALS Network Champions for Cure & Care Gala on Jan. 24.
“And 30 seconds later my phone rang,” she said.
Secretary Pompeo told Dehn that he was here to help in any way he could with whatever was needed.
“I love you,” she added during an ALS event last month. “I’m really proud of you. I love you so much and it’s an honor to talk about you today.”
The “Good American Family” star also reflected on when Dane first joined the cast of “Grey’s” 20 years ago as McSteamy.
“I remember when he showed up as McSteamy, we had an instant electrochemistry. We fell in love with him right away,” she said.
Dane and Williams were scheduled to hold a mini “Grey’s” reunion during the 2025 Emmy Awards ceremony in September 2025 to commemorate the hit medical drama’s 20th anniversary.
However, the late “Charmed” alum was forced to skip the event after falling and splitting his head just before the ceremony.
Williams went on to present the award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Alone, but praised Dane earlier in the night.
“I loved working with him,” Williams said on the red carpet. “That’s my brother, on screen and off.”
Dane, who died on February 19, 2006, exactly 20 years after his first appearance on Grey’s in the season 2 episode “Yesterday,” always fondly remembered his time on the show.
“It was fun,” Dane, who last returned as McSteamy in a cameo role in season 17 in 2021, said in an interview on “The Jess Cagle Show” in 2022.
“I love all of those people dearly,” he said.
