“Grey’s Anatomy” star Kate Walsh shared a touching tribute to late costar Eric Dane one day after his passing.
The beloved actors played Dr. Addison Shepherd and Dr. Mark Sloan, respectively.
Kate Walsh’s Touching Tribute to Eric Dane
Walsh took to social media on Friday, February 20, to share a heart-wrenching message following the death of her friend.
“I’m at a loss for words to try to express the sadness around Eric’s passing. First and foremost I am thinking of his girls and Rebecca and holding them in my prayers and my heart,” Walsh began in her tribute to her late costar.
She continued, “I literally remember my very first scene with Eric…an elevator scene at Seattle [Grace] 😊 So, so long ago. I believe it was his first scene on the show, too and he was nervous.”
“He was so handsome and I thought ‘but can this guy act?’ 😂 and of course he could, and did, and the rest is history,” Walsh wrote. “One of the things I loved about Eric was his sensitivity and vulnerability, (and intelligence, of course), but he had the gravitas & old soul that made his work magnetic and made him a great friend off set,” the “Private Practice alum added. “In those early days of Grey’s, as with most network tv shows, we spent more time with each other than with anyone else, and so we became a family of sorts, and Eric was such a source of support and love.”
As “Grey’s Anatomy” fans know, Dane’s Mark Sloan was best friends with Addison’s husband, Dr. Derek Shepherd. That is, until he and Addison had an affair. He becomes the attending plastic surgeon at Seattle Grace. He ultimately falls in love with Dr. Lexi Grey. However, their love story is cut short when they both pass away after an airplane crash. Seattle Grace was renamed Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital in their honor.
Eric Dane Battled ALS
The beloved actor passed away on Thursday, February 19, exactly 20 years after his “Grey’s Anatomy” debut.
He was diagnosed with ALS in 2024, but did not publicly reveal his diagnosis until April 2025.
“ALS is an awful disease & too many people have lost loved ones to it. I know it was Eric’s mission to help find a cure,” Walsh continued in her Friday tribute. “I would encourage you to look into @targetals in his memory.”
Dane was 53 years old. He leaves behind wife Rebecca Gayheart and daughters Billie and Georgia.
