Actor Eric Dane, who played Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy, died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis on on Feb. 19. He was 53. The San Francisco native got his start in the early ’90s, and besides Dr. McSteamy, he had continuing roles in Gideon’s Crossing, Charmed, The Last Ship, Euphoria, and Countdown; he also appeared in countless TV-movies, and such films as The Basket, Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane, Sol Goode, Feast, and X-Men: The Last Stand. Dane was still working till the time of his death, and had two projects in post-production. “Some of the greatest actors on the planet are the most insecure people,” Dane said. “You give them a character to play and a script, and you put them in front of a camera or on a stage, and they just go.” as for himself, “Sometimes I feel like I'm lacking a playfulness. I envy guys who are consistently able to maintain a playful, optimistic perspective on things.” Dane is survived by his wife, actress Rebecca Gayheart, and two children.
