Patrick Dempsey mourns death of co-star Eric Dane: 'He would be so happy to know he was so beloved'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Patrick Dempsey is still grappling with the loss of his friend and former co-star, Eric Dane.

In a new interview with News Talk FM published Tuesday, February 24, the 60-year-old 'Grey’s Anatomy' alum reflected on Dane’s tragic death at 53 on February 19.

A loss that hits close to home

“It’s very hard when you lose a family member. I lost my father very young, and my mother’s passed,” Dempsey told the interviewer, who shared that her sister died just a week ago.

The actor noted that this year has been especially heavy.

“And now several friends in the last year I’ve lost," he added. "Eric was so beloved, and I think he would really be so happy to know — and I know a lot of people reached out to him before his passing to keep track — that he was so beloved and is deeply missed.”

Dane, best known for playing Dr Mark Sloan (aka McSteamy) on 'Grey’s Anatomy' from season 2 to season 9, had revealed just 10 months before his death that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

His family confirmed his death in a statement shared with People on February 19.

"With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS," the statement began. "He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world."

The final weeks

Dempsey spoke again about Dane a day after his death during an appearance on 'The Chris Evans Breakfast Show' on February 20.

"I feel really so sad for his children," Dempsey said, referring to Dane’s daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, whom he shared with his wife, Rebecca Gayheart.

He revealed they had been in touch not long before the end.

"I was corresponding with him, we were texting, so I spoke to him about a week ago, and some friends of ours went in to see him, and he was really starting to lose his ability to speak," he said.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rare, degenerative illness that progressively paralyzes muscles. Patients often first experience twitches or weakness in a limb, followed by slurred speech. The disease attacks nerve cells in the brain and spine that control muscle movement, leading individuals to gradually lose their ability to speak, eat, walk, and eventually breathe on their own, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The toll was evident when Dempsey and their friends saw him last.

"He was bedridden, and it was very hard for him to swallow, so the quality of his life was deteriorating so rapidly," Dempsey said. "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.”

Remembering McSteamy

On-screen, Dane’s Dr Mark Sloan shared a brotherhood with Dempsey’s Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd.

Dempsey recalled Dane’s larger-than-life presence. "He had a great sense of humor. He was easy to work with, we got along instantly," he said. 

Their first scene together left a lasting impression.

"First scene was him, you know, in all his glory, coming out of the bathroom with the towel on, looking amazing, making you feel completely out of shape and insignificant," Dempsey gushed.