Euphoria and Grey’s Anatomy actor Eric Dane has revealed that he has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
The 52-year-old who played Dr Mark Sloan, or “McSteamy”, in Grey’s Anatomy and currently plays Cal Jacobs in Euphoria, confirmed to People magazine that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a type of motor neurone disease.
“I have been diagnosed with ALS. I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter,” he said.
Dane said he would continue in his role as Cal Jacobs for season three of Euphoria regardless. The new season of the acclaimed HBO drama is now in production and will air in 2026.
“I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of Euphoria next week,” he told People. “I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”
ALS is the most common form of motor neurone disease, which means the terms are often used interchangably. It is a terminal degenerative disorder that causes people to lose the use of their limbs and ability to speak, swallow and eventually breathe independently.
There is no cure; those with motor neurone disease die, on average, 27 months after diagnosis, but some patients can live decades – like Stephen Hawking, who was diagnosed with a slow-progressing form of the disease at the age of 21 and lived to 76.
It is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease in North America, named for the Yankees baseball player who was diagnosed with the condition in 1939.
Other famous names who were diagnosed with motor neurone disease include David Niven and Roberta Flack.
Dane is married to actor and model Rebecca Gayheart and the couple have two children.
