What Eric Dane Said About ALS in His Final Interview from 2 Months Before His Death

Eric Dane gave his final interview back in December 2025 while sitting on a virtual panel for I Am ALS and he opened up about his fight with the disease.

The actor, who just passed away at the age of 53, appeared on the panel to discuss his guest role on NBC’s Brilliant Minds series, in which he played a character battling ALS, mirroring his real-life situation.

On playing the role, Eric said, “It was hard, and there were moments when it was very difficult for me getting the lines out. Nobody survives this. We both know that. I’ve never played a character who’s going through something I’m dealing with in real time, in real life as well.”

Eric also discussed how the purpose of his life changed after the diagnosis.

“I’m fairly limited in what I can do physically,” he said. “I don’t feel like my life is about me anymore. Obviously, I have a family at home. But this is such a big deal to me. You want to make sure that people are aware of what ALS is and what it’s about and more importantly what we can do to combat it.”

Despite their breakup in 2018, Eric and his wife Rebecca Gayheart never finalized their divorced and they decided to stay married amid his diagnosis despite not having a romantic relationship. They also shared two daughters.

“I’m willing to do just about anything, I’ll take on any role, but I think from here on out it’s going to have to be ALS-centric,” he added.

Learn about Eric‘s two final acting projects that are yet to be released.