Eric Dane has no plans to pause acting career amid ongoing ALS battle: 'I feel great when I'm at work'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Eric Dane is not stepping away from acting, even as he faces the growing challenges of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

The 52-year-old actor recently opened up in an interview about why staying active in his career matters to him and how the disease has started impacting his body.

Eric Dane says work keeps him sharp as he navigates life with ALS

In his conversation with E! News, Eric Dane revealed how work is helping him move forward during a time of uncertainty.

"I'm going to ride this 'til the wheels fall off," he said in the interview while discussing his future in acting.

"It keeps me sharp. It keeps me moving forward, which is super important right now," he added.

He added, "I feel great when I'm at work. Of course, there have been some sort of setbacks, but I feel pretty good. My spirit is always pretty buoyant, so at the end of the day, that's all that matters."

Dane, who first shared his ALS diagnosis with in April, opened up more about his health journey on 'Good Morning America'.

He shared that his right arm has lost all function and that his left side is also weakening.

“I have one functioning arm. My dominant side. My left side is functioning, my right side has completely stopped working,” Dane said on the show.

“It's going. I feel like maybe a couple, few more months, and I won't have my left hand either. It's sobering.” Dane also admitted he's still able to walk, but added, “I'm worried about my legs.”

Eric Dane returns to filming ‘Euphoria’ just days after revealing diagnosis

Despite the physical changes, Eric Dane quickly resumed filming for 'Euphoria' Season 3 shortly after sharing his diagnosis with the public.

He further said, “I don’t think this is the end of my story. I don’t feel like this is the end of me.” He continued, "I'm fighting as much as I can. There's so much about it that's out of my control."

ALS, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a degenerative disorder that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, eventually leading to muscle weakness and paralysis.

The National Institutes of Health states that most people with ALS live two to five years after symptoms begin, though some survive longer.

Eric Dane recalls being told his condition would only be 'monitored', not treated

While Eric Dane acknowledged his fears about what’s next, he shared his optimism after connecting with Dr Merit Cudkowicz, a top ALS neurologist.

“That's what I got from Merit when I met her, there was a sense of hope I didn't get from other doctors that I met with,” Dane said per ABC News.

He noted that another organization had told him his medical team would simply “monitor my decline,” which he said “is not very helpful.”

 Approved treatments like Rilutek and supportive therapies may help slow the disease’s progression and maintain quality of life, but there is still no known cure.