Eric Dane on ALS Diagnosis: “I Don’t Feel Like This is the End of Me”
Eric Dane has sat down for his first interview since revealing that he’s been diagnosed by ALS.
In April, the former Grey’s Anatomy star confirmed this very unfortunate condition via a statement to People Magazine.
“I have been diagnosed with ALS,” Dane told the publication on April 10. “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.”
ALS stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease because the Hall of Fame New York Yankees first baseman passed away from it in 1941.
The prognosis for someone with this rare degenerative disease — which causes progressive paralysis of the muscles — is not typically positive.
There’s no cure for the disease and the Muscular Dystrophy Association states that patients typically survive only three to five years after diagnosis, although some can live for decades.
In a clip from an upcoming Good Morning America interview with Diane Sawyer (set to air on Monday, June 16) Dane addressed this awful discovery, getting choked up while speaking with the famous reporter.
“I wake up every day and I’m immediately reminded that this is happening,” Dane said in the footage, which was posted on GMA’s Facebook account on June 12.
“It’s not a dream,” Sawyer said, to which Dane replied: “It’s not a dream.”
Dane starred in 139 episodes of Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Mark Sloan. His other significant credits include Euphoria, The Last Ship and last year’s action movie, Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
On the beloved HBO drama, Dane portrays Cal Jacobs, the father to Jacob Elordi’s character Nate Jacobs. He will begin shooting his role for the long-developing third season on April 14.
Further on in the GMA sneak peek, Dane said of ALS and how he looks at the future:
“I don’t think this is the end of my story. I don’t feel like this is the end of me.”
It certainly isn’t the end of his professional story, not in the immediate future at least.
“I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of Euphoria next week,” Dane’s original statement continued. “I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”
Dane and Rebecca Gayheart got married in 2004 and share two kids, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13.
In 2018, the actress filed for divorce from the actor, citing irreconcilable differences as the basis for their split.
On March 6, however, Gayheart requested to dismiss her divorce from Dane and both sides signed off on the doc
“We are best of friends. We are really close. We are great coparents,” Gayheart told E! News on April 9. “We really figured out the formula to staying a family and I think our kids are benefiting greatly from it and we are as well.”
She concluded at the time:
“I think it’s important to not look at a relationship that ends as a failure. It’s just a season. It wasn’t a failure. It was a huge success. We were married for, I mean, we are still married, but together for 15 years and we had two beautiful kids so I think that’s a successful relationship, and that’s how we look at it.”
Eric Dane on ALS Diagnosis: “I Don’t Feel Like This is the End of Me” was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
