Why is Eric Dane choosing to stay open about his ALS battle despite all the struggles?

Eric Dane is best known for his roles on Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria. In April, he shared that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It is a serious nerve disease that gradually affects muscle control.

After his diagnosis, Dane returned to acting in a powerful way. He appeared on Brilliant Minds as a firefighter with ALS who struggles to tell his wife about his condition. It was his first on-screen role since the announcement.

Now, Dane says being open about his illness is no longer a private choice. For him, it has become a responsibility. Even with fear, pain, and uncertainty, he continues to speak up so more people can understand ALS.

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Eric Dane uses his story to help others understand ALS

Eric Dane says his role on Brilliant Minds was hard because it reflected his real life. Playing someone facing ALS while living with the disease himself was emotional.

He shared how difficult it was to stay strong every day. Dane said finding strength during this time surprised him. The experience helped him feel that he can still move forward in life. He also explained why speaking openly now matters more than ever. He believes his story can help others understand ALS better and push for change. As reported by People, he said:

"I have no reason to be in a good spirit at any time, on any given day, I don't think anybody would blame me if I went upstairs in my bedroom, crawled under the sheets, and spent the next two weeks crying," he said. "And I was a little bit pleasantly surprised when I realized that I wasn't built like that, because I thought for sure that was gonna be me."

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Eric Dane feels a duty to speak publicly about ALS

Eric Dane admitted that being open has not been easy for him. He described himself honestly.

“He said it’s something he’s had to wrestle with because he’s a ‘pretty selfish person,’” but he also said his thinking has changed.

He explained that he can no longer live only for himself.

“I can’t move forward with life being all about me,” he said. He called sharing his story “a propulsive sort of component to my existence.”

For him, speaking out now gives his life direction.

His family remains his top priority.

“Obviously, I have a family at home, and they’re the priority. But this is such a big deal to me,” he said.

He wants to balance being there for them while also helping others through awareness.

Eric Dane also spoke about the wider problems around ALS care and research.

"I make sure that people are aware of what ALS is and what it's about, and more importantly, what we can do to combat it and improve the landscape, because it's so rocky and littered with hurdles and bureaucracy and all this other nonsense that we're trying to sift through so we can get to a place where we go, start working on solution," he said.

He believes change is possible, but only if people keep talking.

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