Eric Dane Saved By The Bell star Eric Dane dies at 53 after ALS diagnosis

Eric Dane Saved By The Bell appears in obituaries of a TV career that ended when the actor died at 53, 10 months after confirming he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In his final months he devoted himself to campaigning and fundraising for the disease he called life-threatening.

Eric Dane Saved By The Bell and a TV career that included Grey's Anatomy

He was best known for more than 100 episodes of Grey's Anatomy as Dr Mark Sloan, the womanising plastic surgeon nicknamed "McSteamy, " and he first broke into television with small roles in shows including Saved by the Bell in 1991; eric dane saved by the bell is listed among his earliest credits. Later work included parts on Gideon's Crossing in 2000–01 and Charmed in 2003–04, and he starred as Tom Chandler in The Last Ship from 2014 to 2018.

Last months focused on ALS fundraising and advocacy

Dane announced an ALS diagnosis in April 2025 and spent the remainder of the year publicly pressing for more research and funding. He launched a three-year campaign in September aiming to raise more than $1bn in federal funding for research, and in recent remarks he said, "I'm trying to save my life. " He was also named one of 100 most influential people in health shortly before his death.

Board role, fundraising wins and on-screen work tied to his illness

By December he had joined the board of directors of Target ALS and helped one of its campaigns surpass a fundraising target of $500, 000. He used his acting to raise awareness as well, appearing on an episode of the medical drama Brilliant Minds in November as a firefighter grappling with an ALS diagnosis; he told a virtual panel the following month that playing a role so close to his own experience had been both challenging and "cathartic. "

Family and early life details were part of his biography: he was born in San Francisco and, as a child, lost his father when he was seven. Across decades of television he moved from guest spots in the 1990s to recurring and starring roles that made him a familiar face for viewers around the world.

The three-year campaign he helped launch in September remains active and will continue pressing for federal research funding and treatment advances, the effort he named as a priority in his final public work.