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Grey’s Anatomy concluded this Thursday’s episode with a heartfelt tribute in honor of former cast member Eric Dane, who tragically passed away at the age of 53 on Feb. 19, just 10 months after he publicly revealed his ALS diagnosis.
Dane first joined the ABC hit as the caddish-but-lovable plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Sloan in Season 2 and continued on with the show through the Season 9 premiere. During that time, Dane brought to life several unforgettable scenes, many of which — his memorable scantily-clad towel moment, his “dirty mistresses” comment to Meredith, etc. — were featured in an emotional montage that aired following this week’s episode.
The video — you can watch it below — was set to a tender cover of Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars,” a classic Grey’s song, and fittingly concluded with a Season 17 scene, in which Dane reprised his role while Meredith was in a COVID-induced coma. “Don’t waste one single minute,” Mark said as the montage froze on the image of him laying on the beach and a message read, “In Loving Memory of Eric Dane. 1972-2026.”
Following Dane’s death, several members of the Grey’s family paid their respects to their former castmate. “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,” Patrick Dempsey told The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio UK.
Chyler Leigh, who played Dane’s love interest, Lexie Grey, called the loss “devastating.” “Eric had a heart of gold. His humor and, especially, his laugh was infectious,” Leigh told E! News. “He was a deeply intelligent man who could carry a philosophical conversation for hours even while we were on set.”
Kate Walsh, aka Dr. Addison Montgomery (whose affair with Mark led to that infamous towel moment), fondly recalled her first scene with Dane. “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,” she wrote on Instagram.