Eric Dane

Eric William Dane, born Eric William Melvin on November 9, 1972, was an American actor. He was best known for playing Dr. Mark Sloan on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy from 2006 to 2012, a character he reprised in 2021. Dane also achieved recognition for starring as Captain Tom Chandler in the TNT drama series The Last Ship, Cal Jacobs in the HBO series Euphoria, and appearing in feature films including X-Men: The Last Stand, Marley & Me, Valentine's Day, Burlesque, and Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

Born in San Francisco, California, Dane grew up alongside a younger brother. They were raised in their mother's Jewish faith, and Dane celebrated a bar mitzvah. When he was seven years old, his father died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. During high school, Dane competed on the boys' varsity water polo team. He decided to pursue acting after appearing in a school production of Arthur Miller's play All My Sons.

In 1993, Dane relocated to Los Angeles, securing early television guest roles on series such as Saved by the Bell, The Wonder Years, Roseanne, and Married... with Children. He gained recurring television roles on Gideon's Crossing in 2000 and spent two seasons portraying Jason Dean on Charmed. His early television film appearances included Serving in Silence in 1995 and Helter Skelter in 2004, in which he portrayed Charles "Tex" Watson. In film, he appeared in titles such as The Basket, Sol Goode, Feast, and Open Water 2.

Dane first appeared on Grey's Anatomy as a guest star in 2005. Favorable viewer response led to his promotion as a series regular starting in the show's third season. He remained part of the main cast through the end of season eight, appeared in the initial episodes of season nine, and later returned for a guest appearance in 2021. During this period, Dane also starred in the television film Wedding Wars in 2006 and the ensemble romantic comedy film Valentine's Day in 2010.

In October 2012, Dane joined the main cast of the TNT series The Last Ship, starring as Tom Chandler from 2014 through 2018. He subsequently began playing Cal Jacobs on the HBO drama Euphoria in 2019. His later credits included the 2017 feature Grey Lady alongside his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, the 2024 film Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and the 2025 Amazon Prime Video series Countdown, in which he portrayed FBI Special Agent Nathan Blythe.

Dane married actress Rebecca Gayheart on October 29, 2004, and the couple had two daughters. In April 2025, Dane publicly disclosed that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). As his condition advanced, he experienced loss of movement in his right arm and eventually required a wheelchair. Dane died on February 19, 2026, at the age of 53 due to respiratory failure related to ALS. His final recorded interview was released posthumously on Netflix.