Grey’s Anatomy Pays Tribute to Eric Dane in Wake of Tragic Death

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One week after Eric Dane died from complications related to his years-long battle with ALS, the show that made him famous paid homage to the actor.

At the conclusion of Thursday night’s Grey’s Anatomy episode, ABC aired a 60-second tribute to Dane — who portrayed Dr. Mark Sloan on the medical drama.

Set to Tommee Profitt and Fleurie’s cover of Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars,” which was also used in an emotional montage for the show’s milestone 400th episode in 2022, the video included a collection of some of Sloan’s most memorable moments and one-liners.

The montage featured such scenes as Mark dubbing himself and Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) the “Plastics Posse,” his friendship with Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) and the moment he walked her down the aisle, as well as his love story with Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh).

The was highlighted by Mark’s most beloved line:

If you love someone, tell them. Even if you’re scared that it’s not the right thing. Even if you’re scared that it’ll cause problems. Even if you’re scared it’ll burn your life to the ground, you say it. You say it loud and you go from there.

As you can see below, closing words of the tribute read, “In loving memory of Eric Dane. 1972 – 2026.”

In the wake of Dane’s passing, his former Grey’s Anatomy colleagues took to social media in droves to remember the star.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on behalf of her production company, for example, series creator Shonda Rhimes cited Dane as “a gifted actor whose portrayal of Dr. Mark Sloan left an indelible mark on the series and on audiences around the world.”

“We are grateful for the artistry, spirit, friendship and humanity he shared with us for so many years,” Rhimes continued. “Our hearts are with his family, loved ones, and all who were touched by his work.”

Elsewhere, Patrick Dempsey said he had been in touch with Dane about a week before his death.

“I was corresponding with him, we were texting, so I spoke to him about a week ago and some friends of ours went in to see him, and he was really starting to lose his ability to speak. He was bedridden and it was very hard for him to swallow, so the quality of his life was deteriorating so rapidly,” Dempsey told The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio UK.

Added Dempsey:

“He was the funniest man — he was such a joy to work with, and I want to just remember him in that spirit because any time he was on set, he brought so much fun to it.

“He had a great sense of humor. He was easy to work with, we got along instantly.

“First scene was him, you know, in all his glory, coming out of the bathroom with the towel on looking amazing, making you feel completely out of shape and insignificant. We hit it off because it was never really any competition.

“There was just this wonderful mutual respect, he’s wickedly intelligent and I’m always going to remember those moments of fun that we had together and celebrate the joy that he did bring to people’s lives.”

Grey’s Anatomy Pays Tribute to Eric Dane in Wake of Tragic Death was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.