What Eric Dane said about ALS and how his family supported him
After Eric Dane publicly revealed in April 2025 that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, the late actor didn't shy away from talking about the rare neurological disorder or advocating for the thousands like him who continue to live with ALS.
"There's so much about it that's out of my control," Dane, then 52, told ABC News' Diane Sawyer last June in his first sit-down interview about his diagnosis, describing ALS and its symptoms as "sobering."
Dane died this week at the age of 53 following his fight with ALS, which is sometimes referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, after the MLB star who had the same illness.
ALS affects the nerve cells in the upper and lower parts of the body, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, causing them to stop working, which can in turn lead to paralysis and death.
Speaking with Sawyer last year, Dane said he refused to throw in the towel after receiving his diagnosis.
"I'm very hopeful. I'm pretty resilient," he said at the time, adding that he was "fighting as much as I can."
He said that he was participating in a research study and taking medication to potentially slow the progression of the disease's symptoms.
The veteran actor noted then that he had teamed up with ALS researcher Dr. Merit Cudkowicz, executive director at the Massachusetts General Brigham Neuroscience Institute, to raise awareness about the condition, which currently does not have a cure.
"There was a sense of hope I didn't get from other doctors that I met with," Dane said of working with Cudkowicz.
He also said at the time that he had partnered with the advocacy group I Am ALS, releasing a video message in partnership with the group a few months later in September 2025 that called for more scientific research and supported an initiative aimed at raising $1 billion for such research.
"For over a century, ALS has been incurable, and we're done accepting the status quo. We need the fastest path to a cure," Dane said then.
Throughout his ALS journey, Dane's family stood steadfastly by his side.
Dane and his wife Rebecca Gayheart, a fellow actor, had previously been separated, and Gayheart had filed for divorce in 2018. However, Gayheart requested a dismissal of her petition in March 2025, one month before Dane went public with his ALS diagnosis.
"She is probably my biggest champion, my most stalwart supporter, and I lean on her," Dane said of Gayheart in his sit-down interview with Sawyer.
Dane also spoke of his two teenage daughters, Billie and Georgia, whom he said he wanted to spend time with and tell every day that he loved them.
"At the end of the day, all I want to do is spend time with my family and work a little bit if I can," Dane continued. "I don't think this is the end of my story. I just don't feel like, in my heart, I don't feel like this is the end of me."
Gayheart also opened up about her family supporting Dane in an interview with the "Broad Ideas with Rachel Bilson & Olivia Allen" podcast last November.
"I am definitely trying to show [Billie and Georgia] that we show up for people, no matter what, and [Dane] is our family. He is your father," the actress, 54, said at the time.
"We show up and we try to do it with some dignity and some grace and just get through it and ... we will get through it the best we can," Gayheart added.
