Eric Dane was an American actor best known for playing Dr. Mark Sloan, nicknamed “McSteamy”, on Grey’s Anatomy, and for his later role as Cal Jacobs, the troubled father in Euphoria. Dane died on 19 February 2026 at the age of 53, less than a year after publicly disclosing a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neurone disease or Lou Gehrig’s disease. His death was widely reported by Variety, Deadline and NBC News, with his family confirming the cause as respiratory failure with ALS listed as the underlying condition.

Dane began working in television in the early 1990s, with a one-episode appearance on Saved by the Bell and a role on The Wonder Years in 1993 marking the start of a long run of guest and supporting parts, including appearances on Married… with Children and Roseanne, per his IMDb filmography. He built early recognition through a recurring role on the medical drama Gideon’s Crossing (2001–2002) and a run as Jason Dean on the supernatural series Charmed (2003–2004), work that established him in Los Angeles well before his breakout casting.

Dane’s defining role came in 2006, when he was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan in Grey’s Anatomy, ABC’s long-running medical drama. He appeared in the show for six seasons and roughly 139 episodes before his character’s exit in 2012, becoming one of the ensemble’s most recognisable figures. The role gave him sustained network-television income over a multi-year run, the single largest source of his career earnings.

Beyond Grey’s Anatomy, Dane went on to lead the TNT naval drama The Last Ship and later joined the HBO series Euphoria as Cal Jacobs, a role that introduced him to a younger audience and was cited repeatedly in coverage of his career at the time of his death. Netflix’s retrospective of his work and multiple obituaries, including Forbes, frame Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria as the two roles that defined his career, more than two decades apart.

Dane was a fixture of mainstream American television for close to two decades, with Grey’s Anatomy’s McSteamy character in particular becoming a recurring pop-culture reference point long after his exit from the show. His later casting in Euphoria, one of HBO’s most-discussed series among younger viewers, extended his recognition to a new generation rather than trading on nostalgia alone.

No major endorsement or sponsorship deals are documented in coverage of Dane’s career. Unlike some peers from the same era of network television, his public profile was built on acting roles rather than brand partnerships.

No significant business ventures outside acting are documented in mainstream reporting on Dane’s career; his income is attributable almost entirely to television and film acting work rather than outside companies or investments.

Dane and his wife, actress Rebecca Gayheart, purchased a farmhouse-style property in the Beverly Hills Post Office neighbourhood of Los Angeles in 2010, reported at the time as a roughly 3,600-square-foot home bought for approximately $2.4 million, according to Cheat Sheet. No further property holdings are confirmed in public reporting, and the couple’s full real-estate history beyond this purchase is not disclosed.