Hey there, folks. It is Friday, February the twentieth and Eric Dane aka doctor Mark Sloan but more affectionately aka mixed Steamy has died at the age of fifty three. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Ropes. Immediately people know the face, maybe not immediately the name, but you certainly know mc steamy. But Eric Danes's name had been in headlines for the past year for reasons other than his acting.
Yes, he announced just a year ago that he had been diagnosed with alsluke Errig's disease, a cruel disease. It's rare, but my god, it is a debilitating disease, and he was very public about it. He wanted to raise awareness, he wanted to raise funds, He wanted to do something with this last year of his life. He didn't know how soon it would come, actually, but this is just a devastating diagnosis for anyone, and we've been watching him this past.
Year just find peace with it and speaks so.
Lovingly of his daughters, And what matters is just it's a lesson to all of us when we see someone's life cut so short. He was such a bright star and to see everything just shut down in the year.
We can all learn a lot.
And he is a star and a name and a face and really a popularity on a show that is will go down in television history. So that is why people know his name and his face and really robes with a show Gray's Anatomy that has the following and the success it's had over years. If you play a prominent role in that show, you will forever be remembered, and he will be.
That is so true.
And I was telling you I was pregnant with my youngest daughter when he made his first appearance, which just so happened to be February nineteenth, two thousand and six. He died on February nineteenth, twenty twenty six, so exactly twenty years to the day his anniversary of appearing on Gray's Anatomy.
He passed.
But I remember that episode when he showed up on Grey's Anatomy. I was obsessed, you know, in your pregnant ladies and you're just binging shows.
That's what I was doing.
And I think so many of us can remember watching him come onto that show and just breathe new life to it because he played just basically a dueling role to Patrick Dempsey's McDreamy, So it was Mick Dreamy versus mc steamy, and it was just double the fun for everyone who watched that show.
He brought just a spark and as sass to it.
And he was not a reminder here, folks. He was not a part of that show. Initially. He did not start off with that show on season one, but he did, yeah, to make a guest appearance in season two, and it went over well. It turned into a regular thing the following season, and he was with it for the following what twenty and six, twenty twelve? Do I have that right? But he was through a long stretch. Now, I went
through season eight robes I don't remember. I guess a lot of people will, and this will be a big I guess this is for a show that popular. If it loses a main character, that's a big event. And what was it? They wrote him off of the show at the end of season eight, certainly the beginning of season nine. Yes, a plane crashers, Yeah, you.
Know, And I had fallen off the show at that point. Then I became a busy mom of two and didn't have as much time to watch the show. But yes, and people were very upset because, look, you know you've watched even with Sabine and some of these current shows, they loved to pit either women against each other or men, like your team Conrad or team Belly or team whatever. So this was maybe one of those first rivalries where
you're either team mc dreamy or team mc steamy. So yes, when McDreamy got written off the show, they were definitely fans who were upset about it. Kisteemyey, sorry, but Dreamy Patrick Dempsey's character lived on. Yes, well that's that was also up and down and all around. But you know what's so funny is my daughters now like rediscovered Gray's Anatomy during the pandemic and they became obsessed with the show.
So it was fun to watch them go through all of.
Those seasons and watch just the excitement and the drama of Grey's Anatomy that just brought so many people to their television sets.
And we will see him, folks again. He is actually in the new season of Euphoria. I say new season as if he's just joining. No, he has been in that show throughout its inception and if you watch it. Maybe he didn't catch it. But all I have to do is say, Jacob Elordi. These days, he plays Jacob Elordi's dad in that show, plays cal and those scenes have been shot, that season has been shot, and we're told we will get a chance to see him now posthumously Robes. But the other thing I did not realize,
and I haven't been watching the show Brilliant Minds. Is it Fox?
Yeah?
It is.
But he had and they have been describing now a scene in that show Robes, in which he plays a firefighter with als and the director, the creator, a writer on that show, said that something happened when he did that scene that he'd never seen before. He said, the whole crew gave this man a ten minute standing ovation
after he shot that scene. He said, it was just such a yes, impressive in your acting, but it was so personal in that he was absolutely playing a character that was going through the same thing he was going through, and it said, it was just chilling. Now, I want to go back. Obviously, definitely that has aired. I want to go back and watch that for sure. But he continued to work, he continued to be out there, and I guess it was just recent recent months and last
year as well. He had to cancel some appearances just ALS it does, I mean, it is cruel. Alis is cruel, It's cruel.
I look my uncle.
You were at the funeral with me. My uncle Ken passed from ALS. I believe he lived with it for a little more than a year. But to watch somebody so strong one day and then very quickly see the decline, it's remarkable to see how quickly and how cruelly, as you put it, this disease takes away the ability just to function as a normal adult, and you can go from being Look at Eric Dane, he was mixed to me for a reason. He was this specimen of a man, strong, gorgeous.
At fifty three, you think he's got another thirty years ahead of him. You wouldn't even imagine that in one year, someone who could be at really his prime could decline so quickly. It's just the cruelty of the disease. And to have people watch it happen is something to be said. To be able to show the world what this disease does, hopefully to motivate people to continue to search for a cure or at least something to help because there isn't a lot out there right now.
They still don't know what causes this, do they. But it's als I had to didn't know the acronym amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly referred to as Lugarrig's disease, named after lou Garrick, the Yankee Great, who had this disease that he died in his late thirties. Even I think this is a eighty five year anniversary this year of his death, actually, But it's just rose it muscular atrophy. They use the term your segmatically. They use the term your muscles waste away.
It's a degenerative neurological disorder. You can't control your own bodies, your muscle and his movements, And they use the term you literally your muscles waste away.
And the sad thing is, as you point out, its it destroys the neurons in your brain and in your spinal cord, so yes, your spine. And then when your brain obviously starts to deteriorate, the paralysis isn't just in your arms and legs.
It actually at the end. And this happened to my uncle as well.
He could not speak, he could not swallow and then eventually you can't breathe without assistance.
So this is just a horrific, horrific disease.
And for people who love the people who are suffering with this, you just feel so helpless. There's nothing you can do. And so for Eric Dane to be a public base of this, look, we don't have a.
Lot of folks.
This is a fairly rare disease, but when it does happen, it's so devastating. And I applaud him for being public and going public with it for this past year.
And we did hear from his family about his final days and who was with him. Stay here will share the statement from his family, but also from his network, his television family, and their statement on the pack of mxed Steamy Stare. We continue here on this Friday, February twentieth. Eric Dane, actor best known for playing doctor Mark Sloan on The Hitch Show Gray's Anatomy, has passed away at the age of fifty three, one year after announcing he
was diagnosed with als and ropes. We've been talking here about, right mc steamy, That's what everybody knows him. I've obviously we've been reading a lot about him. I haven't come across any where he was ever bothered or upset at that label.
No, and I can't imagine most people would be.
And you know what, he played the role like an arrogant, good looking prick of a doctor. I mean, that was his role and he relished it. He played it so well. So yeah, he leaned in hard to it, had that devilish smile.
He's a cosmetic surgeon too.
Yes, he was exactly.
He played the role we perfectly and he looked the part. He was the part. And look people who uh you mentioned the tribute to book gun pouring in. So many of the actors and actresses who worked with him talk about his quick wit and his devilish smile and how that little spark that he brought to the character was truly who he was inside. He was fun to verbally spar with. He just was playful and brilliant and fun to work with. That's how everyone is remembering him.
I was there was a show on I think it was T and T years ago called that he was called the Last Ship that as far as television goes, that is the role. I'm most familiar with him at I guess that was more of a dude show in a lot of ways. He played this naval captain kind of a thing. And they're outfit, so I remember hear from that he has a particular look that makes him You put a military uniform on him, you go, okay, yeah,
that works. Like he just has a physique and a build and a look, and there was something to him. I guess I didn't watch Gray's anatomy. He was younger there. I saw him in his I guess old, not like he was old, but he just had this distinct, unique and almost military look to him. He was always so put together. So you think about als going after somebody like that, and look, it's awful no matter who it happens to. But but bros, we've done several Jesus, grimey,
who do we have here? Robert Duvall just passed away. Yes, Jesse Jackson, Jesse jet But we just had another actor passed away. And as soon as I saw every day pass like, oh here comes this in threees thing again, but broes, we Robert duval pass. He's ninety five. We can celebrate, we can feel good, and now he lived a long life. This feels shitty, right, it's just no matter what, just a fifty three that just feels awful.
And in a year we go from he's acting and see him in these shows to one year he says he has this disease and he's gone.
Look, this is the point you get to a certain age.
I just turned fifty three, and obviously, having been diagnosed with cancer at forty, you just start to realize that there is a point in your life when you start to see people your age dying, either of cancer or a debilitating disease like this. And yes it's rare, and yes it isn't something that you should be obsessed with to the point where it's devastating. But you can look
at death as a motivator. I've always looked at it like this, and I'm sure this is what Eric Dane and anyone whose life was cut short and they were preparing for an early death. Hug the people you love, focus on what's important. Remember, the value of your relationships is the most important part of why we're here. It isn't the fame, It isn't the fortunate, It isn't the roles, It isn't isn't any of that.
It's who you have.
Around you, and I love when I've been reading about him. In every single article, it is about the love of his two daughters. And he does have an interesting relationship, or he did at least with his estranged wife, who was also an actress that a lot of folks would see and remember with familiarity. But they were divorcing, and they had been divorcing since twenty eighteen, and once he was diagnosed, they called off the divorce. And look, they
weren't romantic with one another. They were involved with other people actually, but they stayed together and kept that family bond because when you know you are facing impending death, you just make different decisions.
And his family did put out a statement and certainly mentioned the daughters. As you say therebes quote, he spent his final day surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billy and Georgia, who were the center of his world. He said he was a passionate advocate for awareness and research when he came to ALS and saying, quote, he will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered all ways. Statement from ABC saying as well
that they were deeply saddened at the loss. They said, his remarkable talent and unforgettable presence on Gray's Anatomy left a lasting impact on audiences around the world. And that is true, Robes. He has left, He's left a legacy and was a part of something that will go down in history. He will never be forgotten because certainly of
that show. But there are people Billy Georgia around him who, yes, they appreciate that work, but they lost a whole lot more than what I guess the rest of the world to a certain degree are missing today. But I think a lot of people are hurting and like genuinely hurting and mourning. And this was a tough one to wake up to.
It certainly was.
And I think you know, at a certain point we all knew once he had that diagnosis that time was not on his side. But certainly this was even shorter than most expected. But you know what a really cool thing is that we can still see him. He's still going to be appearing on television. We can go back and watch some of the art he left behind. I've never seen the last ship. I would love to do that.
These are the moments when you can go back and remember someone and honor the work they did, and I think by honoring the way you live and how you treat others and what you focus on and what you make ort today and tomorrow, that's also how you honor people who were fighting for their last breath to be around the people they love. So thank you Eric Dane for the art and for the lessons in life and without everyone, thank you for listening to us.
I'm Amy Roeboch alongside t. J. Holmes. We'll talk to you soon.