Eric Dane to play a character with motor neurone disease in TV show months after his own diagnosis

Eric Dane is best known for the long-running series Grey's Anatomy and Euphoria, but his next role will be closer to home.

The actor will play a character with ALS, which is called motor neurone disease in Australia – the same illness he has in real life.

The Hollywood Reporter revealed Dane will star in an episode of the medical drama Brilliant Minds as a patient with the condition he revealed he had been diagnosed with back in April.

Watch the video above.

Dane will appear in an episode that will air next month as Matthew, a heroic firefighter who struggles to share his ALS diagnosis with his family and turns to Zachary Quinto's character, Dr Oliver Wolf, for help.

It is a case of art imitating life for Dane, who made headlines with the news of his diagnosis with the deadly and fast-moving disease, which currently has no cure.

According to Healthdirect, motor neurone disease, which is also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease, affects the motor nerves that allow a person to move, swallow, talk and breathe.

Symptoms begin as mild weakness in your lower body but gradually worsen and spread to your upper body, causing paralysis and breathing difficulties.

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The average life expectancy from onset is just two-and-a-half years.

Dane first shared his diagnosis in an exclusive interview with People.

"I have been diagnosed with ALS," he said.

"I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.

"I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to the set of Euphoria next week.

"I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time."

Then in June, Dane further elaborated on his diagnosis during an emotional interview with journalist Diane Sawyer for Good Morning America.

He said the first sign something was wrong was weakness in his right hand, which got worse over a few weeks.

By the time of the interview, he had lost all use of his right side.

While he acknowledged the seriousness of the diagnosis, he vowed not to give up.

"I don't think this is the end of my story," he said.

"I don't feel like this is the end of me."

Dane's health has rapidly deteriorated since then to the point he is now almost completely wheelchair-bound and his speech has also been affected.

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He was due to appear at the Primetime Emmy Awards in September alongside former Grey's Anatomy co-star Jesse Williams but was a no-show.

The next day he uploaded a video to Instagram to raise awareness of the condition.

"I'm Eric. An actor, a father and now a person living with ALS," he said.

"For over a century, ALS has been incurable, and we're done accepting the status quo. We need the fastest path to a cure and that's why I partnered with I AM ALS on the Push for Progress. Our goal? A billion dollars over the next three years."

He later revealed to The Washington Post he missed the award ceremony after being hospitalised as a result of his condition.

"ALS is a nasty disease... So I was in the hospital during the Emmys getting stitches put in my head. I missed an opportunity I was really looking forward to," he said.

Just this week, heartbreaking photos emerged of the star, who looked thin and frail, in a motorised wheelchair and struggling to walk a few steps while at an airport in Canada.

Dane shares two daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13, with his wife Rebecca Gayheart.

Gayheart filed for divorce in 2018 but it was never finalised. She asked for the proceedings to be dismissed in March this year following his diagnosis.

Dane made his red carpet debut with girlfriend Janell Shirtcliff in June.

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Title: Eric Dane to play a character with motor neurone disease in TV show months after his own diagnosis
Sourced From: celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/eric-dane-to-star-as-als-motor-neurone-disease-patient-brilliant-minds/2383e9cf-3156-4341-bd0f-c12b8f4c1d7c
Published Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2025 23:10:00 GMT