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In a poignant revelation, actor Eric Dane’s parting words are now being shared in a unique interview designed for posthumous release. The conversation, part of the Netflix documentary series “Famous Last Words,” features Dane in a heartfelt exchange with Brad Falchuk. The series allows prominent figures to reflect on their lives with the understanding that their insights will only be broadcast after their death, offering them a profound opportunity to shape their legacy.
Dane, best known for his role on “Grey’s Anatomy,” participated in the interview in November 2025 while courageously battling Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He had publicly announced his diagnosis earlier that year in April, a revelation that resonated with fans and the entertainment community alike.
During the conversation, Dane shared touching sentiments about his wife, actress Rebecca Gayheart. “By the time anyone watches this, there will have been no one else with whom I have fallen in love as deeply as I have with Rebecca,” he expressed, his words a testament to their enduring bond. “She’s the mother of my children, and the way our relationship unfolded was so natural and serendipitous.”
In the interview he talked about his wife, actress Rebecca Gayheart.
“I will never, by the time anybody sees this, have fallen in love with another woman as deeply as I fell in love with Rebecca. She’s the mother of my children and the whole way that thing came about, it was so organic and fortuitous,” he explained
He said that when he met her, he turned to her friend and said “I’m going to marry that girl.” When Falchuk asked how he knew, Dane said he had “no idea.”
“I had no idea how serious I was in that moment, but I said that, and her friend said ‘No way. She’s never breaking up with her fiancé. They’re getting married, they’ve been together since they were 15,’ you know, four years later and I married her,” he revealed. “I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life where that was supposed to happen.”
Then he turned his attention to his daughters, Billie Beatrice Dane, 15, and Georgia Geraldine Dane, 14.
“Billie and Georgia, these words are for you. I tried. I stumbled sometimes, but I tried. Overall, we had a blast, didn’t we?” he said as her reminisced on times they spent at the beach in Malibu, Santa Monica, Hawaii and Mexico. He called them his “water babies” and said that “those days, pun intended, were heaven.”
“I want to tell you four things I’ve learned from this disease, and I hope you don’t just listen to me. I hope you’ll hear me,” he continued.
The first lesson was to “live now, right now in the present,” which he said was “hard” but he “learned to do that.”
“For years, I would wander off mentally lost in my head for long chunks of time, wallowing in worry and self-pity, shame and doubt. I replayed decisions, second-guessed myself: ‘I should have done this. I never should have done that.’ No more,” he explained. “Out of pure survival I am forced to stay in the present. But I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
He said that the “past contains regrets. The future remains unknown. So you have to live now. The present is all you have. Treasure it. Cherish every moment.”
His second lesson was to “fall in love, not necessarily with a person, although I do recommend that as well. But fall in love with something. Find your passion, your joy. Find the thing that makes you want to get up in the morning.”
He said when he was around his daughter’s ages, he fell in love “for the first time” and it was with acting. He credited it for getting him through his “darkest hours,” “darkest days” and “darkest year.”
His third lesson advised them to choose their friends wisely.
“Find your people and allow them to find you, and then give yourselves to them. The best of them will give back to you,” he said. “No judgement. No conditions. No questions asked.”
The “Euphoria” actor said the was thankful to all of his family and friends who stepped up to help him do the “little things” he used to do before the disease kept him from doing them.
“They just show up. That’s a big one. Just show up.”
As for the fourth and final lesson, the “McSteamy” actor advised his daughters to “fight with every ounce of your being and with dignity.”
“When you face challenges, health or otherwise, fight. Never give up. Fight until your last breath,” he said.
He went on to say that ALS had taken his body, but it would never take his “spirit.”
While acknowledging his girls were “two different people,” he recognized both as “strong and resilient” and took credit for the trait of resiliency, which he called his “superpower.”
“So when something unexpected hits you, and it will because that’s life, fight and face it with honesty, integrity and grace, even if it feels or seems insurmountable,” he said. “I hope I’ve demonstrated that you can face anything. You can face the end of your days. You can face hell with dignity. Fight, girls, and hold your heads high.”
He went on to call both of them his “heart” and his “everything.”
Dane passed away on Feb. 19 at the age of 53.
“He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world,” a statement from his team said. “Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight. He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received. The family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time.”
His episode of “Famous Last Words” is on Netflix now.