Skip To...
Eric Dane, notable for his roles on Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria, breaks his silence on his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis diagnosis and his plans for the future while navigating life with ALS. The 52-year-old portrayed Dr.Mark Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy, played Captain Tom Chandler on The Last Ship, and currently stars as the demanding family patriarch Cal Jacobs in Euphoria. His character’s demanding nature shone through in the first two seasons of the TV series, with viewers hoping for some redemption in subsequent seasons. However, the franchise experienced delays in production due to a series of circumstances, including the death of Dane’s costar Angus Cloud.
With the season 3 release date moved from the initially scheduled 2024 to a later date, the actor has something to look forward to this year. However, an unforeseen health condition threatens to put a damper on his meritorious career. In a new interview with People, the Euphoria actor, Eric Dane, revealed his diagnosis with ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative condition characterized by slurred speech, muscle weakness, and eventually paralysis. He told the outlet,
“I have been diagnosed with ALS. I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.”
Eric Dane Takes on New Euphoria Season After ALS Diagnosis
However, Dane is unwilling to let his health condition slow him down. Speaking to the outlet, Eric Dane revealed his plans to keep up with his career despite the degenerative implication of his ALS diagnosis, beginning with the latest project on his lineup, Euphoria 3. According to him, the long-anticipated third season of the series would commence filming on Monday, April 14, and he looked forward to reprising his role as Cl Jacobs.
While he admittedly felt fortunate to have this opportunity “to continue working,” in the public world of showbiz, he hoped his family and himself would be allowed some privacy “during this time” as they deal with the unfortunate health discovery. The actor is a dad to two children, including teenagers Billie Batrice, 15, and 13-year-old Georgia Gerldine, both from his wife Rebecca Gayheart.
Since the revelation of his ALS diagnosis, fans have turned to various platforms to extend their well-wishes to Eric Dane. Many reflected on how tough it would be for his family at this point, learning that the family patriarch’s condition would slowly degenerate over the year, reducing his life expectancy and overall quality of life, with no known cure available.
Donald Trump’s Anti-Health Policies Slammed Amid Actor’s Diagnosis
While some fans hoped the actor would find a silver lining ahead with ongoing medical research on ALS across the globe, Americans were quick to point out the sad reality that even that shred of hope had been dashed with Donald Trump’s new policies clamping down on NIH-backed research. Many went on to share their personal stories dealing with ALS or other currently incurable conditions, largely relying on clinical trials, and how crushing the research cuts have been for them. Hammering on the impact of this on US citizens, rich and poor alike, one raging netizen wrote,
“I can’t even imagine how everyone with a terminal diagnosis feels right now, watching the US research being dismantled. There are so many people whose only hope was a clinical trial, and all of a sudden there was no trial because it was cancelled. I don’t know how I’d react with a countdown and people who did it to me walking around laughing how rich they’re getting.”
Another raged,
“As someone with MS who is watching all of these studies get canceled, it’s not only painful it’s infuriating. We are being robbed of our health and liberty in broad daylight, and we’re just making memes about it. It’s disgusting.”
A third fired,
“There has been so much promising research, and now watching all of these things get shut down, it’s precarious. And then, with all of the budget cuts that they want to shove through in order to give tax breaks to rich people, so many people are going to lose healthcare, and that’s eugenics in action.”
Another netizen described how they came close to starting a clinical trial to treat a rare form of cancer. However, the research cuts happened just before undergoing the process, which could have extended their life for a year, dashing their final hopes. The user concluded,
“Trump cancelled all the researchers, and now I’m back to nothing. It’s extremely fucked up, and I don’t think many people understand that it’s not just Americans affected by these decisions. It’s everyone else too!”
Netizens also pointed out that the researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and manufacturers would take a hit from Trump’s policies. His imposed tariffs on foreign countries would especially impact citizens’ access to medications and healthcare, as most companies rely on Chinese ingredients. Notwithstanding, Eric Dane isn’t letting the current economic situation deter his plans for the future. Thankfully, the California-born actor has his wife and kids by his side to lead him through the difficult times, ensuring his joy abounds.
