Grey's Anatomy star Eric Dane says his Euphoria penis was a prosthetic

Former Grey's Anatomy star Eric Dane has confirmed he wore a prosthetic penis during an explicit sex scene in the premiere of HBO's new teen drama, Euphoria.

In the scene, which showed an erect penis, Dane's character commits statutory rape against a 17-year-old trans woman (Hunter Schafer), who happens to attend the same high school as his son.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Dane said that the decision to wear a prosthetic was to be "considerate" to Schafer, but that he was "willing to do anything" to serve the scene.

"Those scenes are very difficult to shoot," Dane told the publication. "It's a pretty intense scene.

"I'm willing to do anything that's critical to the story and crucial to creating a very real and truthful feel to how the story is gonna go down," he said. "I just don't see how you shoot a scene like that without showing nudity. And, you know, it kind of matches the stakes. The stakes are so high, you can't hold anything back, really."

Eric Dane as Dr. Mark Sloan in Grey's Anatomy. Photo / supplied

Dane said using a prosthetic is "protocol," and "considerate" to fellow actors.

"There was one isolated shot that I suggested, 'Look if it makes more sense to not use a prosthetic, I'm willing to go there,'" he said. "At the end of the day, because of the context, we decided that the prosthetic was the way to go, and we came to that decision as a group."

Dane, known for playing Dr Mark Sloan on Grey's Anatomy, described the scene as a "cautionary tale".

Zendaya stars in the controversial series Euphoria. Photo / HBO

Euphoria has caused controversy already due to its graphic depiction of sex and drug use among underage teenagers. HBO chairman Richard Plepler told the Hollywood Reporter the show makes Netflix's 13 Reasons Why look "like an after-school special".

Euphoria screens in New Zealand on Neon and SoHo.