Eric Dane, best known for playing Dr Mark ‘McSteamy’ Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy, has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The 51-year-old first shared the sad news with People on April 11, 2025.
“I have been diagnosed with ALS. I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter,” Eric said. However, he confirmed that he was continuing to work.
“I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to [the] set of Euphoria next week,” he went on.
“I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”
Eric plays Cal Jacobs on Euphoria, and filming for Season 3 of the hit show is set to commence on April 14.
However, since filming wrapped, Eric decided to spend more time focusing on his health and his family.
Was Eric Dane diagnosed with ALS?
Sadly, and as aforementioned, yes, Eric Dane has been diagnosed with ALS.
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, specifically the motor neurons – the cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement.
In ALS, the motor neurons gradually degenerate and die. And as a result, the brain loses the ability to initiate and control muscle movements.
Over time, this leads to muscle weakness, paralysis, and eventually affects essential functions like speaking, eating, moving, and breathing.
There is currently no cure.
What is the latest update on Eric Dane’s ALS?
On June 16, 2025, Eric sat down for an interview with Diane Sawyer and confirmed that his condition had progressed. He confirmed that he is losing function in both his arms and almost entirely in one arm.
“I started experiencing some weakness in my right hand, and I didn’t really think anything of it at the time. I thought maybe I’d been texting too much and my hand was fatigued,” he told Diane in an interview for Good Morning America. “A few weeks later, I noticed it’d gotten a little worse. I went and saw a hand specialist, who sent me to another hand specialist. I went and saw a neurologist, and the neurologist sent me to another neurologist and said, ‘This is way above my pay grade.’”
He then went on to explain further about his arm’s condition.
“I have one functioning arm. My left side is functioning,” he shared. “My right side has completely stopped working. [But my left arm] is going. I feel like maybe a couple, a few more months, and I won’t have my left hand either. It’s sobering.”
Eric then went on to say that he is concerned about his legs.
Who is Eric Dane married to?
Eric is married to actress Rebecca Gayheart.
The two tied the knot on October 29, 2004, and share two children: Billie Beatrice, 15, and Georgia Geraldine, 13.
When did Eric first start noticing symptoms?
In his interview in June 2025 for Good Morning America, Eric confirmed that he first started noticing his ALS symptoms while on a boating trip with his daughter, Georgia. Eric used to be a competitive swimmer, but while swimming on that trip, he found that he wasn’t able to. Georgia had to pull him from the water and effectively saved his life.
