Eric Dane is 53 years old today!
Long before we knew him as McSteamy on Grey’s Anatomy, the actor appeared on shows like Save by the Bell, Roseanne, and Married with Children before his big break. Throughout his decades-long career, he has appeared in TV shows and movies such as Charmed, Valentine’s Day, Marley and Me, Countdown, and of course, Euphoria.
In his personal life, Dane married actress Rebecca Gayheart in 2004. The couple, who have two children together, filed for divorce in 2018 but reconciled seven years later. In April 2025, Dane revealed that he had been diagnosed with ALS and is now using his platform to raise awareness about the condition.
See below some of the actor’s best on-screen and off-screen moments as he celebrates his 53rd birthday today.
Eric Dane’s early days
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Eric William Dane was born on November 9, 1972 in San Francisco. The actor lent his talents to iconic shows such as Saved by the Bell (above), Roseanne, The Wonder Years, and Married with Children.
Eric Dane appears on ‘Charmed’
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The actor first caught our attention with his role as Dr. Wyatt Cooper in Gideon’s Crossing. But things started to take off for Dane when he accepted the role of the romantic and highly attractive media mogul Jason Dean (the love interest of Alyssa Milano’s character on Charmed).
Eric Dane and Alyssa Milano
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If you thought Phoebe and Jason had strong chemistry on screen, that’s because they actually dated in real life. “When I was 14 years old, I fell in love with Alyssa,” Dane told Dax Shepard on Armchair Expert, revealing that he was a fan of her on Who’s the Boss?
“By the time I was 28 and we started dating, I wasn’t a kid anymore, she was a person, and I might add, she was a wonderful, wonderful person,” he revealed. “We dated for a little bit and she obviously had a show called ‘Charmed’ and she asked me to be on it. I ended up being on it for about 10 episodes.”
The actor alluded to the fact that his time on the show was cut short due to the two breaking up.
How Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart met
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In 2003, Dane met his future wife, Rebecca Gayheart. Although the two were private about their early days, he told Flaunt Magazine that their courtship was very quick. “It’s probably one of the least interesting stories in the world. It basically went like this: ‘Do you want to go out?’ ‘Yeah, sure.’ Ten months later, we were married. ”
Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart get married
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The two were married on October 29 of the following year. As with most of their relationship, the details of their wedding are unknown to the public, other than that the ceremony took place in Las Vegas.
Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart become parents
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On March 3, 2010, the couple’s first child, daughter Billy Beatrice, was born. The following year, they added to the family with the birth of Georgia Geraldine on December 28, 2011.
Eric Dane and his family
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A family of four was photographed together at the Chrysalis Butterfly Ball in 2017.
Eric Dane becomes McSteamy
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In 2006, Eric Dane joined Grey’s Anatomy, playing plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Sloan. A particularly glitzy post-shower scene earned him the nickname “McSteamy” and established him as one of the most handsome TV dudes of all time.
Eric Dane’s struggle with addiction
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The actor appeared on the popular show for six seasons until his character tragically died due to wounds sustained in a plane crash. Although this show was a career high, Dane revealed that he was also struggling with alcohol and painkiller addiction at the same time.
Before entering the show, he told Armchair Expert that he was able to control his relationship with alcohol. “I had my wits about me and kind of knew what was real and what wasn’t real and was able to differentiate between the two and kind of conceptualize what it was and keep it in place and enjoy it and dip in and come back from time to time.”
But things eventually changed, and he said, “After spending eight whole years on Grey’s Anatomy, I was way more irritated than I was when I was sober. And that’s when things started to change direction. I think[the attention]was so overwhelming that I just wanted to pretend it wasn’t that way and I thought I was happy with it. Act like I wasn’t there when I was there.”
eric dane runs euphoria
Eddie Chen/HBO
After recovering from his addiction, Dane started working again, most notably landing the role of Cal Jacobs on HBO’s Euphoria in 2019.
“I wanted to do something different. I felt like I was doing the same things over and over again in my career, and I felt like it was holding me back from growing and stretching myself as an actor and as an artist,” he told Awards Radar.
“[I]really wanted to show that I’m more than just a doctor on a hospital drama or a captain on a naval destroyer. It’s a gift to be able to play such a complex character.”
Eric Dane breaks up with Rebecca Gayheart
Rebecca Gayheart/Instagram
In 2018, Gayheart filed for divorce from the actor after 14 years of marriage.
“After 14 years together, we have decided that ending our marriage is the best decision for our family,” Dane said in a statement to PEOPLE at the time.
“We will continue our friendship and work together as a team to co-parent our two beautiful daughters, as they are the most important thing in the world to us. We ask that you respect our privacy at this time as we move into the next phase of our lives.”
And it looks like the two kept their promise, as Gayheart posted the above photo of the family’s 2022 vacation and wrote, “This is our 2022 family vacation 🇫🇷🥳❣️.”
Seven years after their first divorce, Gayheart requested that her divorce from Dane be dismissed in March 2025, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE. Both parties signed the document.
dad eric dane
Axel/Bauer Griffin/Film Magic)
In 2024, the actor who played McGrath in Bad Boys: Ride or Die walked the red carpet with his two daughters at the California premiere.
Eric Dane diagnosed with ALS
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On April 10, 2025, Eric Dane revealed that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
“I was diagnosed with ALS,” he tells PEOPLE. “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as I navigate this next chapter.”
On September 29, Dane traveled to Washington, D.C., with the nonprofit organization I AM ALS to advocate for the reauthorization of ACT for ALS.
In a TikTok video shared by California Rep. Eric Swalwell, Dane spoke about his ALS journey, saying, “ALS is the last thing people want to be diagnosed with. Too often, it takes these people this long to get diagnosed, and then they can’t participate in clinical trials.”
“That’s why ACT for ALS is so great: it expands access to everyone.”
“I have two daughters at home. I want to see them, graduate from college, get married, and maybe have grandchildren. You know, I want to be there for all of that. So with this film, I’m going to fight to the end,” the actor said.
Eric Dane appears in “Brilliant Minds”
Peehu Wayman/NBC
Even after his diagnosis, the actor continues to work and uses his talent to raise awareness about ALS.
On October 20, Warner Bros. revealed that the actor will appear in an upcoming episode of Brilliant Minds. According to a press release, in episode 9 Dane will play Matthew, a heroic firefighter struggling to tell his family about his ALS diagnosis.
