The 'Grey's Anatomy' Cast Remembers Eric Dane With Heartfelt Messages and Memories

When Eric Dane revealed in 2025 that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), he was all set to film Season 3 of Euphoria, and he was ready to face the challenges ahead of him. He continued to share updates with fans on social media amid his worsening condition and, in February 2026, Eric died.

Afterward, fans and supporters flooded social media with posts and comments about how his roles and his death impacted them, as did Eric's former Grey's Anatomy co-stars. Eric has had numerous roles over the years, but for many, his character Mark Sloan, aka "McSteamy," is one of the more memorable ones.

Following the news of Eric's death, Patrick Dempsey, who also starred on Grey's Anatomy, appeared on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show and shared his thoughts on hearing the news about Eric's death that very morning, the morning after Eric died.

"I feel really so sad for his children," Patrick said. "I was corresponding with him, we were texting, so I spoke to him about a week ago, and some friends of ours went in to see him, and he was really starting to lose his ability to speak."

He added, "He was the funniest man. He was such a joy to work with, and I want to just remember him in that spirit because any time he was on set, he brought so much fun to it."

Kim Raver, who plays Teddy on the medical drama, shared a tribute to Eric on Instagram.

"Eric was a light," she wrote under a collection of pictures. "You'd see it effortlessly shine from him on the set of Grey's as well as when he was with Rebecca and the girls. During filming he'd get this twinkle in his eye and with a mischievous look, he would deliver with perfect comedic timing, a line of dialogue that would floor you! You will be missed."

Kevin McKidd, known better as his Grey's Anatomy character Owen, posted a photo of Eric in character from the show in his Instagram Stories and wrote, "Rest in peace, buddy."

Longtime Grey's Anatomy producer Krista Vernoff also posted about Eric on Instagram. She shared a story where he agreed to come back for a cameo years after his character's on-screen death.

"What I will remember most about Eric Dane are his hugs," she added in the post. "The best hugs. Oh my friend. I wish you peace."

Eric's character Mark was a casualty of the plane crash at the end of Season 8 of Grey's Anatomy. Although he initially survived the crash, he later died from injuries related to it, resulting in a memorable scene between him and another character, with whom he was in love, and who died along with him.

In 2024, Eric appeared on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast and shared that he believed he was "let go" rather than leaving of his own accord. He admitted that he was "struggling" with addiction at the time.

Later, he did appear in a Season 17 episode in a dream sequence, so he was gone, but never forgotten by the characters or the fandom.