Eric William Dane (born November 9, 1972)[1] is an American actor. After multiple television roles in the 1990s and 2000s, which included his recurring role as Jason Dean in Charmed, Dane was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan on the ABCmedical drama television series Grey's Anatomy (2006–2012; 2021). Following this, he made appearances in films such as Marley & Me (2008), Valentine's Day (2010), and Burlesque (2010). Dane has since played Captain Tom Chandler in the post-apocalyptic drama The Last Ship and currently stars as Cal Jacobs in the HBO series Euphoria.
Dane's first major feature film appearance was in The Basket. He also appeared in Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane, Sol Goode, Feast, X-Men: The Last Stand, and starred in Open Water 2.
In 2005, Dane guested as Dr. Mark Sloan in "Yesterday", the eighteenth episode of the second season of the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Positive audience reaction to the character led to Dane's becoming a regular in the show's third season. His first appearance in the season, in which he walked out of the bathroom soaking wet and wearing only a strategically placed towel, was labeled a "watercooler moment".[13] Dane resigned from the show after the end of season 8 but appeared in the first two episodes of season 9.[14] In 2021, Dane reappeared on the show for the first time in nine years since his character was killed off.[15]
In December 2006, he starred in the A&E television film Wedding Wars as the brother of a gay man (played by John Stamos) who goes on strike in support of same-sex marriage.
Dane, alongside Patrick Dempsey, appeared in the same big-screen project, the 2010 romantic comedy Valentine's Day. The Garry Marshall-directed film followed five interconnecting stories about Los Angelenos anticipating (or in some cases dreading) the holiday.[16]
In October 2012, Dane joined the main cast of the Michael Bay-produced TNT drama series The Last Ship.[17] He is also credited as a producer on the show.
In 2023, he described his experience on being in a show like Euphoria where he had to regularly wear a prosthetic penis.[18] He stated, "Those scenes are very difficult to shoot," and that the scenes were "pretty intense."[18]
Personal life
Dane married actress Rebecca Gayheart on October 29, 2004. They have two daughters together.[19] In February 2018, Gayheart filed for divorce from Dane after 14 years of marriage, citing "irreconcilable differences".[20]
In 2009, Dane made headlines when he was in a video that featured Dane, his wife and Kari Ann Peniche, nude and using drugs.[21]
In June 2011, Dane entered a California treatment center to recover from a dependency on prescription drugs he had developed after suffering a sports injury.[22]
In April 2017, The Last Ship halted production through Memorial Day to allow Dane to deal with the depression he was battling.[23]
^Gladstone, E.C. (2006). "All Grown Up". Atlanta Peach Magazine: 84. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved February 12, 2010. Gayheart, who was raised Southern Baptist, is considering converting to Dane's Judaism. 'He's not pushing me, I just love all the traditions,' she says.
