McSteamy. Cal. Jason. Sebastian. Marcus. No matter how you knew him, actor Eric Dane has probably graced your screens more times than you realize. It was a gift every time.
Dane died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Feb. 19. ALS is a neurodegenerative disease that destroys nerve cells in the brain. Dane announced his diagnosis just 10 months prior.
From when he first made his diagnosis public, and after his death, “Grey’s Anatomy” fans took to social media to say things like “I had to watch McSteamy die twice.” But it’s not the case.
Mark “McSteamy” Sloan was a fictional character; Dane was a real person. And you didn’t watch him die; his family did. The world lost a great man, but his family lost a father and partner, and fans need to be respectful and aware of that.
“Grey’s Anatomy” was his breakout role, after multiple smaller roles, and cocky womanizer Mark Sloan was probably what people will know him best for. Dane died exactly 20 years after his first appearance on the show, which aired on Feb. 19, 2006.
His first role was a small part in the 90s hit show “Saved by the Bell,” and even after his death, he will appear in the newest season of “Euphoria,” as Cal Jacobs.
He was hilarious and brought some of the most comedic moments in a relatively dark show. I don’t think anyone will forget the “Cal, put your penis away” scene.
Or the scene with Fezco (Angus Cloud) that brought the line, “You’re confused? I’m fucking confused, bro.” The scene has a whole new impact now that both Cloud and Dane have died since the latest season of “Euphoria” aired in 2022.
I know both quotes are engraved in my mind forever, and I often quote them.
I barely knew him from “Grey’s Anatomy,” since I never really watched it. I was first introduced to him as Jason Dean in “Charmed” and Sebastian in “Marley and Me.” I was a big fan of his more minor roles, including Marcus in “Burlesque.” He seemed to always be in my favorite TV shows or movies one way or another.
Yes, Dane was a tremendous actor, but towards the end of his life, he became an advocate. Even though the disease is debilitating, Dane still attended conferences and events where he spoke. In September, he received the “Advocate of the Year” award from the ALS Network.
Knowing that he didn’t have long to live, Dane recorded his last interview on Netflix’s show,“Famous Last Words,” where he said goodbye. He did this knowing that Netflix wouldn’t air it until he died.
The message was more moving than any role he ever acted in.
I personally know how hard it is to watch someone go from full of light and life to losing them to a disease before they’re even dead. If you haven’t watched it yet, please do.
Even at the end, he was still the funny, charming man we all knew him as. The beginning of the interview starts
with him being brought in via a wheelchair, jokingly saying, “well you had to get me out here somehow.”
While his light is still there, you see him struggle to articulate words and communicate. His optimism throughout the interview is nothing short of inspiring. He said he “always had a sense of humor about this.”
He took the opportunity to say goodbye to his daughters, saying, “overall we had a blast, didn’t we?” He stumbled on his words, looking visibly defeated, having to fight to get them out. He brought up some of his favorite memories and shared wisdom.
I was crying all throughout the message. From the way he was speaking, I felt like his kid too, listening to a dad advise his daughter.
He said to live in the moment, because he didn’t do enough of it. He focused on regrets and got stuck in his head. You can’t change the past, but the future is unknown, according to Dane.
He also said to fall in love. Falling in love doesn’t necessarily mean with a person, but finding your passion. Whatever makes you want to get up in the morning. He fell in love with acting, which got him through his darkest times.
He advised choosing your friends wisely. His friends didn’t need to do anything special, but they showed up.
His final piece of advice was to fight. Never give up. He said that this disease was taking over his body, but it’d never take his spirit. I believed him, and I could see it.
He followed his own advice, where he said, “Fight until your last breath.”
