Eric Dane leaves heartfelt ‘last words’ for his two teenage daughters before his death

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Beloved father and actor Eric Dane recorded heartfelt words for his teenage daughters months before his death. The ‘Euphoria’ star filmed the deeply personal interview for Netflix’s series 'Famous Last Words,' keeping it private until after his death.

Dane died on Thursday, February 19, at 53, just 10 months after publicly revealing his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Dane and his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, had two daughters: Billie Beatrice Dane, born in 2010, and Georgia Geraldine Dane, born in 2011.

Eric Dane’s final message to daughters revealed

At the close of his final interview with Netflix, Eric Dane turned directly to the camera to speak to his daughters, Billie and Georgia.

“Billie and Georgia, these words are for you,” he began. “I tried. I stumbled sometimes, but I tried. Overall, we had a blast, didn’t we?” He reminisced about their days at the beach, saying he would always picture them playing in the water. “Those days, pun intended, were heaven,” he said.

Dane then shared four lessons he said his illness had taught him and urged his daughters to listen closely. First, he said, "First, live now, right now in the present. It's hard, but I learned to do that. For years, I would wander off mentally, lost in my head for long chunks of time, wallowing in worry and self-pity, shame and doubt. I replayed decisions, second-guessed myself. 'I shouldn't have done this. I never should've done that.' No more."

Facing his diagnosis forced him, “out of pure survival,” to focus on the here and now. The past holds regret and the future remains uncertain, he said, so the only way forward is to treasure the present. He added, "Second, fall in love. Not necessarily with a person, although I do recommend that as well. But fall in love with something," Dane said. "Find your passion, your joy. Find the thing that makes you wanna get up in the morning."

Eric Dane warns his daughters to choose their friends wisely

Dane shared that he fell in love with acting when he was their age and still cherished his work, encouraging them to discover their purpose and pursue it wholeheartedly.

Third, he advised, "choose your friends wisely. Find your people and allow them to find you, and then give yourselves to them. The best of them will give back to you. No judgement. No conditions. No questions asked."

Reflecting on his illness, he said he felt deeply grateful for the friends who “stepped up” when he could no longer do simple things like go to the gym or drive for coffee. “Just show up,” he said, urging his daughters to love their friends fiercely because some of them will guide, support, and even save you.

Finally, Dane told his daughters to "fight with every ounce of your being and with dignity. When you face challenges, health or otherwise, fight." He concluded, "Never give up. Fight until your last breath. This disease is slowly taking my body, but it will never take my spirit."

Eric Dane tells his daughters, 'Hold your heads high'

Eric Dane told his daughters that although they are different, they both inherited his strength and resilience. He called resilience his “superpower,” saying he always gets back up no matter how many times life knocks him down. Joking that a friend once compared him to a cat with more than nine lives, Dane said life will always bring "unexpected" challenges, and when it does, they must face them with honesty, integrity, and grace, even when the situation feels overwhelming.

Fighting back tears, he said, "I hope I've demonstrated that you can face anything. You can face the end of your days. You can face hell with dignity. Fight girls, and hold your heads high."

"Billie and Georgia, you are my heart. You are my everything. Good night. I love you. Those are my last words.”