Grey’s AnatomyNew paid episode Eric Dane after his death at the age of 53.
The hit ABC series returned on Thursday, February 26, and featured a montage at the end of the episode highlighting Dane’s best moments as Mark Sloan (aka McSteamy) over the years. “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol played in the background with the message, “In loving memory.”
On February 19, news broke that Dane had died after a battle with ALS, a neurological disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and has no cure. The day of Dane’s death also marked the 20th anniversary of his debut at Grey’s.
After the medical drama premiered in 2005, Dane joined season 2 in the episode titled “Yesterday,” which follows the arrival of Dr. Sloan at Seattle Grace which forced Derek (Patrick Dempsey) and Addison (Kate Walsh) to deal with their past. Despite only being in one episode that season, Dane’s screen time was increased, and he stayed on the show until 2012.
Dane later reflected on how his on-screen fights contributed to his character’s execution.
“I think I was let go,” Dane said on an episode of the “Armchair Expert” podcast in 2024 about how he was dealing with addiction issues at the time. Dane explained that the show’s producers “didn’t let” him go directly because of that.
“Although it didn’t help at all. I was starting to be – like most of the actors who spent a significant amount of time in the show, you start to call the network more,” he explained about his experience before entering the treatment center in 2011. “And the network knows that the show is going to do what it’s going to do no matter who it goes on with.
Dane added: “I wasn’t the guy they hired, so I went straight when I was let go. [executive producer] Shonda [Rhimes] it was really good. He protected us fiercely. He publicly defended us. He protected us in secret. … But maybe I was fired. It wasn’t like a ceremony saying, ‘You’re fired,’ it was like, ‘You’re not coming back.’
Dane announced in April 2025 that he had been diagnosed with ALS. After his death, Rhimes, 56, released a statement about Dane’s legacy.
“Eric Dane was a beloved member of the Shondaland and Grey’s Anatomy family,” Rhimes said in a statement on February 19. “He was a truly talented actor whose portrayal of Dr. Mark Sloan left an indelible mark on the series and audiences around the world.”
He continued: “We are very grateful for the art, spirit, friendship and personality that he shared with us for so many years.
Grey’s Anatomy airs on ABC on Thursdays at 10 pm ET before airing the next day on Hulu.
