Heartfelt way Grey’s Anatomy pay tribute to Eric Dane following his death aged 53
Grey's Anatomy has paid tribute to Eric Dane, known for playing Dr. Mark Sloan on the show, following his death after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The long-running medical drama has honored the late star, who appeared on the show between 2006 and 2012 before returning for a brief stint in 2021 in the famous beach scene with Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo).
Grey's, now in its season 22, has dedicated an episode aired earlier this week to Dane, adding a coda featuring his character's best moments on the show.
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The 60-second montage included Dane's first scene as Sloan aka McSteamy as he's wearing just a towel as well as scenes showing the character's arc from womaniser to proud dad.
The tribute was soundtracked by Tommee Profitt and Fleurie's cover of Snow Patrol’s 'Chasing Cars', a song that has a particular significance for Grey's and was first featured in the season 2 finale.
"Why are you telling me to give it time when there’s no guarantee time is going to be there?" Sloan reflects in one scene in the clip.
In another one, he says: “If you love someone, you tell them, even if you’re scared it’s not the right thing, even if you’re scared it’ll burn your life to the ground, you say it. You say it loud.”
The montage closed as Sloan, who died following a plane crash in season 7, tells Meredith: “Don’t waste a single second.”
“In loving memory of Eric Dane. ❤️,” the show captioned the video on their Instagram page.
The actor, most recently seen in Euphoria, died on 19 February, almost a year after he shared his ALS diagnosis publicly. He was 53.
Dane is survived by his estranged wife, Rebecca Gayheart, who supported him during his illness, and their two daughters, Billie and Georgia.
His former Grey's co-stars paid tribute to Dane following his death, with Cheryl Leigh, who played Dr. Lexie Grey, Meredith's sister and Sloan's love interest, said the news had been 'devastating'.
"The last 48 hours have been devastating,” the actress told E! News in a statement, two days after the star died.
"I never thought I would be using the term ‘had or was,’ but here we are. And I hate it. Eric had a heart of gold. His humor and, especially, his laugh was infectious.”
Leigh said Dane 'was a deeply intelligent man who could carry a philosophical conversation for hours even while we were on set'.
"He was an amazing father and loved his girls FIERCELY. Incredibly passionate about his work and the causes he kept close to his heart.”
The Way Home star concluded: “The Universe is undoubtedly holding Eric now, just as I will continue to do within my heart forever.”
Patrick Dempsey, who portrayed Dr. Derek Shepherd on Grey's, also shared his sadness over Dane's passing. The Ferrari star revealed he had been making plans to have Dane on as his character's brother in new series Memory of a Killer, but the plan sadly never materialised (via Metro).
Topics: Eric Dane, Euphoria, Film and TV
Stefania Sarrubba