The actor died on Thursday, Feb. 19 after revealing he’d been diagnosed with ALS in 2025

Eric Dane’s Grey’s Anatomy costar Patrick Dempsey is sharing details on the late actor’s final days following the news of his death.

Dane died on Thursday, Feb. 19, less than one year after being diagnosed with amyotophic lateral sckerosis (ALS) his family confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE. He was 53.

 “He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world,” Dane’s family told PEOPLE. “Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight. He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received. The family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time.”

Eric McCandless/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Dane starred as Dr. Mark Sloan (a.k.a. McSteamy) on Grey’s Anatomy from season 2 to season 9.

Dempsey, who portrayed Dr. Derek Shepherd on the ABC medical drama, spoke candidly about working with Dane during an appearance on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Friday, Feb. 20.

Eric Dane and Patrick Dempsey in 2007.Vince Bucci/Getty

The actor struggled to describe the sadness that he felt after waking up to see Dane’s death in the news.

“I feel really so sad for his children,” said Dempsey. “I was corresponding with him, we were texting, so I spoke to him about a week ago and some friends of ours went in to see him and he was really starting to lose his ability to speak.”

Dempsey emphasized that he wants to remember Dane for the “joy” he was to work with rather than how his health had deteriorated in the last days of his life.

“He was bedridden and it was very hard for him to swallow, so the quality of his life was deteriorating so rapidly,” said the Bridget Jones’s Baby star. “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.

“He had a great sense of humor. He was easy to work with, we got along instantly,” Dempsey continued. “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 revealed there was “never really any competition” between himself and Dane on the set of Grey’s Anatomy as they “hit it off” from the beginning.

“There was just this wonderful mutual respect,” said Dempsey. “He’s wickedly intelligent and I’m always going to remember those moments of fun that we had together and celebrate the joy that he did bring to people’s lives and the real loss is for us who don’t have them anymore.”

Eric Dane in ‘Greys Anatomy’.Gale Adler/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Speaking of Dane’s ALS diagnosis, the actor continued, “He did an incredible job at bringing awareness to this horrible disease and those remaining days and it just reminds us that we all have to celebrate every day like it’s our last day.

“It’s something that we have to remember and certainly in a world where there is just so much crisis and there is so much tragedy that we really need to be grateful for every moment that we have… spend time with our families, do things that are better, that benefit of other people to be of service to be kind, to be loving and these values with our leadership unfortunately that we’re seeing around the world and certainly in America with this horrible, you know, corrupt government that is currently running America, we have to remember to treat our neighbors and our friends with the right values,” Dempsey concluded.

Following Dane’s death, several of his costars including Kevin McKidd, and Kim Raver, shared their fond memories of Dane and sent love to his family.

McKidd reposted on his Instagram Stories a photo shared by Variety of Dane on the Grey’s Anatomy set.

“Rest in peace buddy..,” McKidd wrote over the image.

Sarah Drew shared the same photo on her Instagram Stories, writing, “Rest in peace,” alongside three crying emojis.

Series creator Shonda Rhimes shared a message to Instagram, on behalf of media company Shondaland, in which she called Dane “a gifted actor whose portrayal of Dr. Mark Sloan left an indelible mark on the series and on audiences around the world.”

“We are grateful for the artistry, spirit, friendship and humanity he shared with us for so many years,” she wrote. “Our hearts are with his family, loved ones, and all who were touched by his work.”

Kim Raver, who played Dr. Teddy Altman, shared a throwback image of her and Dane in their doctors’ scrubs on her Instagram. A second photo included in the post showed her posing with Dane and his wife, Rebecca Gayheart.

“Eric was a light. You’d see it effortlessly shine from him on the set of Grey’s as well as when he was with Rebecca and the girls,” she captioned the post. “During filming, he’d get this twinkle in his eye and with a mischievous look, he would deliver with perfect comedic timing, a line of dialogue that would floor you! You will be missed 🤍.”

Former Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff posted several screenshots on Instagram of a candid conversation she and Dane had when he returned to the show for a season 17 episode in 2021.

“I called Eric and he answered immediately,” Vernoff said of his appearance. In their text messages, Dane expressed excitement about his brief return, where he appeared in Meredith Grey’s (Pompeo) dream while she was in a coma due to COVID-19.

“The thing I will remember most about Eric Dane are his hugs. The best hugs. Oh my friend. I wish you peace,” Vernoff wrote.

Krista Vernoff pays tribute to Eric Dane.Krista Vernoff/Instagram

Dane exclusively shared his ALS diagnosis with PEOPLE in April 2025.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a rare degenerative disease that causes progressive paralysis of the muscles. There’s no cure for ALS, and people usually live three to five years after diagnosis, according to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. However, some patients can live for decades.

Rebecca Gayheart, Eric Dane, Georgia Dane and Billie Beatrice Dane.Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

Following his diagnosis, the Euphoria star pushed for extensive research and access to comprehensive treatment in hopes of finding a cure for the disease.

Just months before his death, Dane vowed to “fight” until the end.

“I have two daughters at home. I want to see them, you know, graduate college, and get married and maybe have grandkids. You know, I want to be there for all that. So I’m going to fight to the last breath on this one.”

Dane is survived by his wife Rebecca, and their daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14.