The world is mourning the loss of Eric Dane, best known for his role as Dr. Mark Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy. The actor died on February 19, 2026, at the age of 53 after battling ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease. In the months leading up to his passing, Dane largely stepped away from public life, making only a handful of appearances. Now, a pre-recorded message he left behind for his daughters has left fans heartbroken.
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The emotional video was released as part of Netflix’s documentary series Famous Last Words. In the clip, Dane speaks directly to his two daughters, Billie and Georgia Dane, whom he shared with actress Rebecca Gayheart.
“Billie and Georgia, these words are for you,” Dane began. “I tried. I stumbled sometimes, but I tried.”
He reflected on cherished family memories, recalling days spent by the ocean. “I see you now playing in the ocean for hours, my water babies. Those days, pun intended, were heaven,” he said, smiling softly. The tenderness in his voice underscored how much his family meant to him, especially during his battle with ALS.
Though Dane and Gayheart had separated, they remained committed co-parents. In March 2025, Gayheart filed to dismiss their divorce, and the two appeared united in supporting their daughters during Dane’s health struggle. Her final Instagram post featuring Dane showed the family enjoying a trip together — a snapshot that now carries even deeper meaning.
Life Lessons From a Father Facing the Unimaginable
As the message continued, Dane shifted to sharing the lessons he hoped would guide his daughters throughout their lives.
His first piece of advice was simple but powerful: “Live now.” He admitted that in the past, he had spent too much time dwelling on regrets or worrying about the future. Facing ALS forced him into the present moment. “Out of pure survival, I am forced to stay in the present,” he said. “But I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
He also encouraged Billie and Georgia to fall in love — not just romantically, but passionately. “Not necessarily with a person, although I do recommend that as well,” he added with warmth. He urged them to find the thing that makes them excited to wake up in the morning and pursue it wholeheartedly. For Dane, that calling was acting, which he credited with helping him survive what he described as his “darkest year.”
Community and connection were another cornerstone of his message. Dane told his daughters to “find your people and allow them to find you, and then give yourselves to them.” During his illness, he said, friends and loved ones stepped up in extraordinary ways simply to sit beside him, offering strength through presence alone.
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His final directive was perhaps the most powerful: fight.
“When you face challenges, health or otherwise, fight. Never give up,” he told them. “This disease is slowly taking my body, but it will never take my spirit.”
Calling resilience his “superpower,” Dane encouraged his daughters to meet life’s hardships with courage and determination. Even as ALS weakened his body, his resolve — and his love for his family — remained unshaken.
Eric Dane’s final words serve as a moving reminder that while illness can take much, it cannot erase the impact of a father’s love or the legacy of strength he leaves behind.
Eric Dane’s message took a serious tone as he talked to his two daughters, Billie and Georgia Dane, about important life lessons. His first note to them was to “live now,” recalling how he would spend too much time thinking about regrets or worries instead of just living his life. “Out of pure survival, I am forced to stay in the present,” Dane said. “But I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
Going on, he encouraged his daughters to fall in love, saying, “Not necessarily with a person, although I do recommend that as well.” Dane wanted his daughters to find a passion that they loved, “the thing that makes you want to get up in the morning,” and go for it with everything they had. For him, that was acting, which he said got him through his “darkest year.” His third directive for Billie and Georgia was to “find your people and allow them to find you, and then give yourselves to them.” He wanted them to find friends and family who will be there for them during both good and bad times, recalling how many of his own loved ones “stepped up” during his health battle to simply be by his side.
Lastly, Dane told them, “When you face challenges, health or otherwise, fight. Never give up … This disease is slowly taking my body, but it will never take my spirit.” He called his resilience his “superpower” and instructed his daughters to push through any and every challenge in life with the same strength.
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