Patrick Dempsey has paid tribute to his Grey's Anatomy co-star Eric Dane, who died aged 53 after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Dempsey described Dane as the 'funniest man' and said he was 'very sad' to learn of his death.
Speaking on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio, Dempsey revealed he had been texting Dane about a week before his death. He said Dane was 'starting to lose his ability to speak' and was bedridden, with the quality of his life deteriorating rapidly.
Dempsey recalled Dane's humour and joy on set, saying they 'hit it off' instantly and shared a 'wonderful mutual respect'. He added that Dane did an 'incredible job' bringing awareness to ALS and reminded everyone to 'celebrate every day like it's our last day'.
Dane's representatives confirmed his death in a statement, saying he was surrounded by his wife and two daughters, Billie and Georgia. They noted that Dane had become a passionate advocate for ALS awareness and research.
Dane rose to fame as Dr Mark 'McSteamy' Sloan in Grey's Anatomy, a role he played from 2006 to 2012. He later starred in Euphoria as Cal Jacobs and appeared in films such as Marley & Me and Burlesque.
Tributes have also come from Ashton Kutcher, John Stamos, and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson. Dane's wife Rebecca Gayheart filed for divorce in 2018 but later had the petition dismissed, and the couple remained close.
