Washington [US], February 21 : In an emotional final public message, actor Eric Dane addressed his two daughters with words of resilience and love in Netflix's posthumous interview series 'Famous Last Words', days after his death at 53 following a battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
Best known as the charismatic McSteamy on 'Grey's Anatomy' and for his emotionally layered portrayal of Cal Jacobs in 'Euphoria', Dane participated in the long-form interview series months before his passing.
His episode, released on Netflix on Friday, features an intimate conversation filmed in November with television writer Brad Falchuk.
Dane, who went public with his ALS diagnosis 10 months ago, died on Thursday with his wife, actress Rebecca Gayheart, and their daughters, Billie Beatrice Dane and Georgia Geraldine Dane, by his side. Family remained central to his final sit-down, which also explored his career highs, personal struggles, and enduring trauma linked to his father's death.
In the concluding moments of the episode, Dane delivered a direct message to his daughters. "Billie and Georgia, these words are for you," adding, "I tried. I stumbled sometimes, but I tried. Overall, we had a blast, didn't we?"
Recalling family trips to Santa Monica, Hawaii and Mexico, Dane reflected on time spent by the ocean. He then shared four lessons drawn from his experience with the degenerative disease.
His first message urged living fully in the present. Admitting he once spent too much time "wallowing and worrying in self-pity, shame and doubt," Dane said ALS forced him to stop replaying past decisions, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
"The past contains regrets. The future remains unknown. So you have to live now. The present is all you have. Treasure it. Cherish every moment," he said.
He also encouraged his daughters to find a passion that sustains them. For Dane, that love was acting, discovered around their age. "My work doesn't define me, but it excites me," he noted, adding that it carried him through his darkest periods.
Friendship, too, formed a key pillar of his advice. As his health declined, Dane said his friends "stepped up," visiting him when he could no longer drive, work out or meet them outside. "Just show up," he said, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
Finally, Dane urged resilience in the face of adversity, a quality he described as a superpower. "Fight and face it with honesty, integrity and grace," he told his daughters, adding, "Fight, girls, and hold your heads high."
Earlier in the episode, Dane reflected on the childhood trauma of losing his father to suicide when he was seven, and the long emotional shadow it cast.
He discussed seeking treatment for trauma and depression, including time at a California treatment centre, and acknowledged past struggles with prescription drug addiction and depression that led to a leave of absence from 'The Last Ship' in 2017.
The Netflix series is based on the Danish format Det Sidste Ord and features public figures reflecting candidly on their lives. Dane's interview marks the second US episode of the series, following primatologist Jane Goodall.