‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Actor Eric Dane Dies at 53 | News24

Grey’s Anatomy actor Eric Dane has died at the age of 53.

• Actor Eric Dane, known for his role as Dr. Mark Sloan on “Grey’s Anatomy” has died at the age of 53 after battling ALS, his family announced.
• Dane, nicknamed ‘McSteamy’, also starred in ‘Euphoria’ and advocated for ALS awareness.
• He died surrounded by loved ones, including his wife Rebecca Gayheart and their two daughters.

For 15 years, Dane played a plastic surgeon nicknamed “McSteamy” by female characters on the show. He also starred in the series “Euphoria” and said after the diagnosis that he would still return to the set for the third season.

“Eric Dane passed away Thursday afternoon after 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 center of his world.”

ALS is a progressive disease in which a person’s brain loses connection with its muscles. It is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, after the Hall of Fame baseball player who died from it in 1941 at the age of 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 struggles,” Dane’s family added.

Dane and his wife, actor Rebecca Gayheart, the mother of their two children, split in 2018 after 14 years of marriage.

But last March, just before Dane announced his diagnosis, Gayheart tried to deny her divorce petition, People said, citing court documents.

Eric William Dane, the eldest of two brothers, was born on November 9, 1972 in San Francisco to an architect, a father and a housewife, according to his biography on IMDb.com.

His first television role was in The Wonder Years in 1993, while 2005 brought his big break Grey’s anatomy. His big screen credits include Marley & I And X-Men: The Last Stand.