Who is Eric Dane? Biography, Career, Movies, Death, Wife & Net Worth
Eric Dane (November 9, 1972–February 19, 2026) was an American actor. After several television performances in the 1990s and 2000s.
This performances include a recurring role as Jason Dene in Charmed, Dane was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan on the ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy (2006-2012; 2021).
Following that, he appeared in films including X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), Marley & Me (2008), Valentine’s Day (2010), Burlesque (2010), and Bad Boys for Life (2020).
Dane has also portrayed Captain Tom Chandler in the TNT series The Last Ship, Cal Jacobs in the HBO drama series Euphoria, and FBI Special Agent Nathan Blythe in the Amazon Prime Video crime thriller Countdown.
Eric Dane Biography
Eric William Dane was born on November 9, 1972, in San Francisco, California. When Dane was seven years old, his father died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Dane has a younger sibling. Dane and his brother were reared in their mother’s Jewish faith, and he had a bar mitzvah ceremony.
He attended Sequoia High School in Redwood City, California, from 1987 to 1990, and then transferred to San Mateo High School in San Mateo, California, where he graduated in 1991.
Dane was an athlete in high school, competing on the boys’ varsity water polo team. He pursued a career in acting after performing in a school performance of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons.
Career
Dane relocated to Los Angeles in 1993, and appeared in a number of television shows, including Saved by the Bell, The Wonder Years, Roseanne, and Married… with Children. In 2000, he was cast in a recurring role in Gideon’s Crossing, followed by a two-season run as Jason Dean in Charmed.
His made-for-television film credits included two biopics: Serving in Silence (1995), about Margarethe Cammermeyer’s military experiences, and Helter Skelter (2004), in which he played Charles “Tex” Watson, a member of the Manson family.
Dane’s first major feature film role was in The Basket. He has also appeared in Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane, Sol Goode, Feast, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Open Water 2. Dane appeared as Dr. Mark Sloan in “Yesterday,” the eighteenth episode of the second season of ABC’s medical drama Grey’s Anatomy.
He became a regular in the show’s third season when the audience responded well to the character. His first appearance of the season, in which he walked out of the shower soaked and wearing only a neatly arranged towel, was dubbed a “watercooler moment”.
Dane left the program after season 8, but appeared in the first two episodes of season 9..Dane returned to the show in 2021, nine years after his character was killed off.
In December 2006, he appeared in the A&E television film Wedding Wars as the brother of a gay man (John Stamos) who goes on strike to support same-sex marriage. Dane and Grey’s co-star Patrick Dempsey both participated in the 2010 romantic comedy Valentine’s Day.
The Garry Marshall-directed film told five interconnected stories of Los Angeles residents anticipating (or, in some cases, dreading) the holidays.
Dane joined the main cast of Michael Bay’s TNT drama series The Last Ship in October 2012. Dane played Tom Chandler, and the sitcom aired from 2014 until 2018. Dane featured as Cal Jacobs in Euphoria, which debuted in 2019.
In 2023, he highlighted his experience on being in a show like Euphoria where he had to routinely wear a prosthetic penis, calling the sequences “very difficult to shoot”
Eric Dane Movies
Some of his well-known films are
- The Basket
- Sol Goode
- Feast
- X-Men: The Last Stand
- Open Water 2: Adrift
- Marley & Me
- Valentine’s Day
- Burlesque
- Grey Lady
- The Ravine
- Redeeming Love
- American Carnage
Eric Dane Wife
Dane married the actress Rebecca Gayheart on October 29, 2004. They have two daughters together. Gayheart filed for divorce from Dane in February 2018 after 14 years of marriage, citing “irreconcilable differences”.
Gayheart reportedly submitted a motion to reject Dane’s divorce petition on March 7, 2025, after seven years of separation. In 2009, a naked video of Dane, Gayheart, and Kari Ann Peniche was published on Gawker.com.
Eric Dane Illness and Death
In April 2025, Dane revealed that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He began feeling problems in early 2024. By June 2025, he had completely lost use of his right arm and hand, and by October 2025, he was fully dependent on a wheelchair. Dane died of ALS complications on February 19, 2026, nearly a year after being diagnosed. He was 53 years old.
Eric Dane Net Worth
Eric Dane’s net worth is believed to be approximately $7 million. He amassed his fortune through a successful career in television and cinema, most known for his role as Dr. Mark Sloan on “Grey’s Anatomy” and performances in “Euphoria” and “The Last Ship”.
Social Media
Instagram: @realericdane
