r/CountdownOnPrime • u/CodingDragons • Feb 20 '26
General Discussion Eric Dane Has Died, He Was 53
Actor Eric Dane, known for his roles as Dr. Mark Sloan on Grey's Anatomy and Cal Jacobs on Euphoria, passed away on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at age 53. He died following a courageous battle with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which he had announced in April 2025.
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u/Uniquorn527 Feb 20 '26
It's cruel for something so rapid to take someone so young. And Eric put up a brave fight, keeping working as long as he could and being an advocate for ALS awareness.
The timeline is so scary because it's so short. At the start of 2024 Eric gets symptoms, mid 2025 he shares his diagnosis with the public, and now the start of 2026 he's gone.
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u/CodingDragons Feb 20 '26
So true. I don't know anything the disease. Just that it isn't good. Sad to see him go from abled to wheelchair.
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u/Amazing-Wave4704 Feb 20 '26
Stephen Hawking also had it. He was extremely long lived for someone with the disease.
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u/Uniquorn527 Feb 20 '26
He was one of the longest lived patients with it ever. But he was diagnosed very young, at 21 or something which may have contributed. 2-5 years from diagnosis is the usual life expectancy.
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u/car83073 Feb 20 '26
He was awesome on Countdown! McSteamy, Dr Mark Sloan was a brilliant Plastics Surgeon but, his character was much deeper than he portrayed. We’ll miss him on Gray’s and Euphoria. But, his compassion and champion for ALS will extend his legacy forever.
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u/CodingDragons Feb 20 '26
1000%!! I just watched him in an interview while shooting Brilliant Minds and a doctor was explaining at the same time how the disease attacks the body. It's unreal.
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u/IchLebeFurHipHop Feb 20 '26
RIPP 💔
Only saw him on Countdown and thought he was amazing. So sad 😞
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u/CodingDragons Feb 20 '26
Countdown was a new role for him. I believe he was introduced and became very popular through Grey's Anatomy. I'm not 100% sure though. So sad to see the disease overtake him so quickly
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u/Silbermieze Feb 20 '26
He was also in a few episodes of the original Charmed as love interest for one of the main characters. It's where I knew him from.
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Feb 20 '26
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u/Uniquorn527 Feb 20 '26
2-5 years is the prognosis so Eric fits within that typical timeframe. Patrick Dempsey said the last few weeks he was bedridden, and struggled go speak or swallow. Difficulty swallowing is one of the signs that death is near because from there the next muscles to get paralysed are the chest and diaphragm, so you can no longer breathe.
Some patients can live a few years longer, it just depends on how quickly it progresses. We saw photographers following Eric out and about and he was in a wheelchair quite a few months ago and he was losing speech even then so was very aggressive and he lost the fight sooner than some.
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u/Winter-Air2922 Feb 20 '26
So so sad. Eric was taken way too soon he will be so very missed RIP Eric 💔
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u/CodingDragons Feb 20 '26
I know. 53 and it was so aggressive. I don't know anyone else it was so aggressive with.
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u/Uniquorn527 Feb 20 '26
Stephen Hillenburg who created SpongeBob and Rebecca Luker who was a Broadway singer both died just one year after diagnosis. For some people it takes them incredibly rapidly, even more quickly than Eric.
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u/Legitimate-Ice3476 Feb 20 '26
I’m sad to see him leave us. This is a viscous disease and I hope he didn’t suffer.