Last Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, Eric Dane, star actor of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria,” passed away. He was best known for his roles as Mark “McSteamy” Slone on “Grey’s Anatomy” and Cal Jacobs in “Euphoria.” The cause of death stemmed from his long battle with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s Disease).
According to The Mayo Clinic, “ALS, is a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. ALS causes loss of muscle control. The disease gets worse over time. ALS is often called Lou Gehrig’s disease after the baseball player who was diagnosed with it. The exact cause of the disease is still not known, and only a small number of cases are inherited” (mayoclinic.org).
The actor first noticed symptoms in 2023 and publicly announced that he was facing the disease in April 2025 and became an immediate public advocate for those battling it, as well as for ALS research and a cure.
One of the biggest projects he worked on was “Grey’s Anatomy”, where he played Mark “McSteamy” Slone. He first appeared on the show as a guest star in season two and became a regular in season three. He was on the show as a regular until season nine, when his character died from injuries resulting from a plane crash, resulting in Dane leaving the show. He later reappeared as a guest in Season 17 when Meredith was in a coma. She was battling COVID-19 as he appeared on the beach inside her coma.
Because of Dane being a long-time part of “Grey’s Anatomy,” the show will be honoring him in the upcoming episode (Season 22, Episode 11) on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 10 pm EST on ABC and Hulu.
