When Eric Dane passed away on February 19, 2026, stars from all over Hollywood took to social media to mourn the tremendous loss, and share some of their favorite moments with the actor.
Among them is actress and trans activist Alexandra Billings, who once guest-starred alongside Dane in “Grey’s Anatomy” back in 2006. Her story, which was later shared by fellow “Grey’s Anatomy” alum Sara Ramirez on Instagram, showed what Dane was all about: kindness, love and care.
“I think this story matters because it speaks to his character, even though I only knew him for a few hours,” Billings said in the beginning of the video.
Eric Dane Stood Up for Alexandra Billings on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
In a long video, Billings remembered a moment between herself and Dane on set for the season 3 episode “Where the Boys Are.” In it, her character, who’s in the midst of transitioning, is diagnosed with breast cancer and Dane’s character Mark Sloan is her doctor.
The first story she shared was about how Dane listened to her experience with a great doctor when she was transitioning. She mentioned that physical touch went a long way in making her feel loved and cared for. So, when the cameras started rolling, Dane did the same.
Also in the episode, Billings was supposed to give a “huge dialogue,” but, due to time constraints, it was being cut by production. That’s when Dane reached out to her once again.
“[Eric] turns to me and he says very quietly, he says, ‘What are the five most important things you say in that monologue?'” she remembered, per Us Weekly. “I don’t remember what they were, but I told him one of them was about my wife, a line about my wife. And he said, ‘Say that and we’ll do a little improvisation.'”
Dane then talked to the mic operator and the director, and everyone agreed it was a great idea. They were cutting the dialogue, but still keeping the most important part.
“There was no reason in the world for him to do that,” Billings said. “It didn’t have anything to do with him. Time is money, especially in television.”
Eric Dane Was a True Ally to Alexandra Billings
GettyBillings shared the heartwarming story of Dane to show what an incredible person he was.
“Eric Dane was one of the kindest, most empathetic humans I think I’ve ever worked with,” she said. “I think that I could count on one hand the amount of times where I’ve left a set and gone, ‘I can’t believe.’ Or, ‘That was extraordinary.’ And that was one of those times.”
“Eric Dane showed everyone on that set what a true ally looks like,” she said. “It’s not just talk.”
“An ally is present even when there’s danger in them being present. And that’s what Eric Dane did,” she said. “I didn’t know him. I really didn’t know him but I absolutely knew him. And he will be missed. And I’m going to say something I didn’t get a chance to say to him: Thank you, Eric. Thank you. From all of us.”
As a reminder, Dane passed away following a public battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. He was 53 years old, and is survived by his daughters, Billie and Georgia.
