Actor Eric Dane, best known for his roles in Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria, broke down in tears during a heartfelt interview on Good Morning America, revealing he has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The 52-year-old said the condition has left him with only “one functioning arm,” and that his right side has “completely stopped working.”
Speaking with Diane Sawyer, Dane detailed the harrowing journey that led to his diagnosis. He first began noticing symptoms a year and a half ago when his right hand started to feel weak. “I didn’t really think anything of it at the time,” he recalled. “I thought maybe I’d been texting too much or my hand was just tired.”
But when the weakness progressed, Dane sought medical advice. One specialist referred him to another, then another. Eventually, a neurologist told him, “This is way above my pay grade.” After nine months of testing, he received the diagnosis in April.
ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that progressively attacks motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness, paralysis, and ultimately the loss of the ability to speak, move, and breathe. There is no known cure.
“I will never forget those three letters,” Dane said. “It’s on me the second I wake up. It’s not a dream.”
An Emotional Toll
As he described the progression of the disease, Dane admitted that his left arm, now his only functioning limb, is also growing weaker. “I feel like maybe a couple more months and I won’t have my left hand either. It’s sobering.”
Fighting back tears, Dane spoke movingly about the support he’s received from his ex-wife, actress Rebecca Gayheart, with whom he shares two daughters. “She is probably my biggest champion and my most stalwart supporter, and I lean on her,” he said. “We have managed to become better friends and better parents.”
He also shared a terrifying moment while snorkeling with one of his daughters, when he realized he no longer had the strength to swim back to the boat. His daughter had to pull him to safety. “I was breaking down in tears,” he said. “I made sure she got back in the water with her friend. I didn’t want to ruin it for her. But I was just heartbroken.”
Facing the Future
Despite the diagnosis, Dane insists this isn’t the end of his journey. “In my heart, I don’t feel like this is the end for me,” he said. “I’m fighting as much as I can. There’s so much about it that’s out of my control.”
His greatest fear, he says, is leaving his daughters too soon — a painful parallel to his own childhood. “I’m angry because my father was taken from me when I was young, and now there’s a very good chance I’m going to be taken from my girls when they’re very young.”
Dane lost his father to suicide when he was just seven years old.
Continuing to Work
Remarkably, Dane is continuing to work despite his diagnosis. He recently completed filming Countdown, an Amazon Prime Video series premiering June 25, and will return to HBO’s Euphoria for its third season.
“I’m still ready and willing to do just about anything in the acting world,” he told Variety in a separate interview. “But I have limitations that I understand will preclude me from playing certain roles… As far as that goes, I’m pretty capable.”
While the road ahead is uncertain, Dane is choosing to live with determination, purpose, and love. “This is a tough diagnosis. But I’m still here. I still have stories to tell.”
His emotional candor has touched many, shining a spotlight not only on his personal strength but also on the devastating impact of ALS — a disease that, until now, Dane never imagined would become part of his story.