Patrick Dempsey Had Heartbreaking Last Words About Eric Dane

Patrick Dempsey and Eric Dane starred together in Grey's Anatomy for years, playing Dr. Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd and Dr. Mark "McSteamy" Sloan. While Dempsey left the show in 2015 and Dane left in 2012, the two stayed in contact over the decade since their departures.

Just weeks before Dane's death from ALS on Feb. 19 at age 53, Dempsey spoke publicly about his former co-star. And what he had to say was heartbreaking.

In an interview with our sister publication Parade, Dempsey revealed that he had spoken to Dane just a few weeks prior. He even said that he'd wanted to have Dane appear in his new Fox series Memory of a Killer, but "the progression of his disease made it virtually impossible."

Dempsey continued, "It’s very hard for him, but I do try to stay in touch and see how he’s doing. I think he’s been incredibly courageous in the face of this horrible disease."

The Can't Buy Me Love star went on to shower praise upon Dane. "He’s such a wonderful human being. He has such a great sense of humor, and he’s so intelligent," Dempsey said. "I’ve always enjoyed working and being around Eric. It’s heartbreaking. It really is. For him and for his family."

He added, "You feel for them when you see this terrible disease and how quickly it attacks the body."

Dane revealed his ALS diagnosis in an interview with Peoplein April 2025, less than a year before his death. “I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of Euphoria next week,” he said at the time. A few months later, he told Good Morning America that he could already feel it progressing. “I wake up every day and I’m immediately reminded that this is happening," he said. "It’s not a dream.”

Euphoria Season 3, in which Dane will play one of his final roles, premieres on HBO April 12. His final film, a thriller called Family Secrets, is currently in post-production.