Hollywood actor Patrick Dempsey has paid a heartfelt tribute to his former Grey’s Anatomy co-star Eric Dane, who died at the age of 53 after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In a statement about his time with Dane, Dempsey said that he was ‘incredibly funny’ and that he was always ‘bringing warmth and energy to every set he was on.’
In a statement given just after the news of his death broke, Dempsey said that he had spoken with Dane just last week. ‘It’s hard to process,’ he said. ‘My heart is with his kids.’ Dane was surrounded by his wife and daughters, Billie and Georgia, during his final days, according to his representatives.
What did Patrick Dempsey say about Eric Dane?
Dempsey remembered the great chemistry they shared right from the start of their stint on Grey’s Anatomy. He remembered Eric Dane’s memorable entrance on the show, laughing about the famous scene where Dane was seen with nothing but a towel around his waist, which soon became a popular scene among fans.
However, beneath the laughter, there was a reality that was painful to accept. Dempsey said that Dane’s health had deteriorated considerably over the past few months. Dane had been bedridden, had swallowing problems, and lost his voice as the disease progressed.
In what ways did Eric Dane contribute to ALS awareness?
Following his announcement of his ALS diagnosis in 2025, Dane was very open about his situation in interviews and at public events, which contributed to bringing attention to this degenerative disease. He has been very forthcoming about the effects of the disease on his body, at one point saying that while one side of his body was still working, the other side was no longer responding.
ALS is the most prevalent type of motor neurone disease, which is a progressive and incurable disease, with patients living an average of three to five years after diagnosis.
Which of these roles influenced his career?
Eric Dane gained massive popularity as Dr Mark ‘McSteamy’ Sloan in Grey’s Anatomy, where he acted from 2006 to 2012. Later, he enthralled a new generation of fans as Cal Jacobs in Euphoria.
In a touching turn of events, one of his last performances in 2025 was as a firefighter with ALS in Brilliant Minds, where he played a character suffering from the same disease he was fighting in real life.
Condolences have been pouring in from all over the Hollywood community, with messages from Ashton Kutcher and Kevin McKidd. However, it was perhaps Dempsey’s tribute to Dane’s sense of humor and spirit that best captured the man fans loved.
