Eric Dane became a household name playing Dr. Mark Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy, then reached another major audience as Cal Jacobs in HBO’s Euphoria. His film appearances included X-Men: The Last Stand, Marley & Me, and Valentine’s Day. Across those roles, he built a career that made him one of television’s most recognizable actors—a familiar presence whose work spanned medical drama, darker family stories, and popular films.

After publicly revealing his ALS diagnosis, Dane continued acting and raising awareness about the disease. He died on February 19, 2026, at age 53; his death certificate listed respiratory failure as the immediate cause, with ALS as the underlying condition. Those clinical terms describe the circumstances of his death, but not the breadth of his life. His final months added a deeply personal dimension to a public career, leaving fans and family with memories that extend far beyond his best-known characters.

Mark Sloan entered a series already crowded with surgeons whose professional and personal lives regularly collided. The character’s self-confidence made him easy to recognize, but the part also asked Dane to show the uncertainty underneath that confidence. As the series returned to Sloan over time, viewers saw a person whose swagger could coexist with loyalty, regret and a desire to belong. That contrast helps explain why the role remained closely associated with Dane long after his work on the series ended.Read more below