Patrick Dempsey Speaks Emotionally About Late Grey's Anatomy Co-Star Eric Dane
Patrick Dempsey became visibly emotional while discussing the recent passing of his close friend and former Grey's Anatomy co-star Eric Dane. The 60-year-old actor opened up about what he described as a 'very hard' mourning period during a new interview with News Talk FM.
'Awful, Stark and Life-Altering' Loss
Dempsey agreed with the interviewer's characterization that losing a loved one is 'awful, stark and life-altering.' The actor reflected on his own history with grief, noting he was just 17 years old when his father William died, and his mother Amanda passed away from ovarian cancer in March 2014.
'Now several friends in the last year, I've lost,' Dempsey revealed. However, Dane's death on February 19 at age 53 from ALS has been particularly devastating. The degenerative and incurable motor neuron disease causes individuals to slowly lose their ability to speak, eat, walk and breathe independently.
Two Decades of Friendship
Dane played Dr. Mark Sloan - affectionately known as McSteamy - on Grey's Anatomy from season two to season nine. Dempsey portrayed Dr. Derek Shepherd, otherwise known as McDreamy, for 11 seasons from the show's premiere until his character's departure in 2015.
The onscreen relationship between McSteamy and McDreamy evolved from initial conflict to a brotherly bond, and that connection transferred to real life as Dane and Dempsey's friendship lasted over two decades.
'Eric was so beloved, and I think he would really be so happy to know - and I know a lot of people reached out to him before his passing to keep track - that he was so beloved and is deeply missed,' said Dempsey, who attended the BAFTA Netflix party with his wife Jillian and daughter Talula just three days after Dane's death.
Final Days and Fond Memories
On February 20, one day after Dane's passing, Dempsey appeared on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show where he expressed his sorrow. 'I just woke up this morning and I was very sad to read the news,' Dempsey said. 'It's hard to put into words. I feel really so sad for his children.'
Dane shared daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, with actress Rebecca Gayheart. The couple had separated but called off their divorce in March 2025, just one month before Dane went public with his devastating ALS diagnosis.
Dempsey shared details about his friend's final days during the interview. 'I was corresponding with him, we were texting, so I spoke to him about a week ago,' Dempsey recalled. 'Some friends of ours went in to see him and he was really starting to lose his ability to speak. He was bedridden and it was very hard for him to swallow, so the quality of his life was deteriorating so rapidly.'
Remembering the Joyful Spirit
Despite the sadness, Dempsey focused on celebrating Dane's vibrant personality. '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,' Dempsey said of his friend.
The actor praised Dane's 'great sense of humor' and recalled their instant chemistry. 'He was easy to work with, we got along instantly,' Dempsey added. 'First scene was him, you know, in all his glory, coming out of the bathroom with the towel on looking amazing, making you feel completely out of shape and insignificant.'
Dempsey's emotional tribute highlights the deep bond between the two actors that began on the set of Grey's Anatomy and endured for more than twenty years, making Dane's loss from ALS particularly painful for the grieving star.
