Eric Dane on living with ALS: 'I have one functioning arm'
In a candid interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America, the 52-year-old actor explained how the first symptoms appeared subtly, before gradually intensifying.
"I started experiencing some weakness in my right hand, and I didn't really think anything of it at the time," the he said.
"I thought maybe I had been texting too much, or my hand was fatigued," he continued. "But a few weeks later, I noticed it had gotten a little worse."
He added: "So I went and saw a hand specialist, who sent me to another hand specialist. I went and saw a neurologist, and the neurologist sent me to another neurologist, who said, 'This is way above my pay grade.'"
He underwent nine months of testing before getting his "sobering" diagnosis in April.
Dane said he will never forget the three letters he received after his diagnosis. "It's on me the second I wake up. "It's not a dream," he stated.
FULL INTERVIEW: Former "Grey's Anatomy" star Eric Dane speaks out for the first time in a television interview about his battle with ALS, a degenerative neurological disorder. "I don't think this is the end of my story." @ABC News' @DianeSawyer reports. https://t.co/NM3oCKiozO pic.twitter.com/gzcuRAkplM
— Good Morning America (@GMA) June 16, 2025
Dane is married to Rebecca Gayheart, and the couple share two children, Billie Beatrice, 15, and Georgia Geraldine, 13.
While recounting stories about his diagnosis, the Marley & Me actor revealed that he once nearly drowned while snorkeling after his legs suddenly almost gave out on him.
He recalled how his daughter saved him that day. "She dragged me back to the boat; I was, like, breaking down in tears. I made sure she got back to the water with her friend and continued on with the snorkelling. I was just heartbroken," he said.
The American actor is also known for roles including Jason Dean in Charmed and as Mark 'McSteamy' Sloan on Grey's Anatomy.
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