What To Know
- Kate Walsh paid tribute to her late Grey’s Anatomy costar Eric Dane, recalling their close bond and early scenes together on the show.
- Dane, who died at age 53 after an ALS diagnosis, was remembered by Walsh for his sensitivity, intelligence, and supportive friendship during their time filming.
- Walsh highlighted Dane’s advocacy for ALS research and encouraged donations to Target ALS in his memory.
Kate Walsh posted a heartfelt tribute to costar Eric Dane after his death on February 19, sharing recollections of playing Addison Montgomery to his Mark Sloan in the early days of Grey’s Anatomy.
“I’m at a loss for words to try to express the sadness around Eric’s passing,” Walsh wrote in an Instagram post on Friday. “First and foremost, I am thinking of his girls and [Rebecca Gayheart, Dane’s wife] and holding them in my prayers and my heart.”
Walsh and Dane costarred in a total of 31 episodes of Grey’s, and Dane also appeared in two episodes of Private Practice, the Grey’s spinoff Walsh led.
In her post, Walsh said she remembers their first scene together, one of Grey’s Anatomy’s famous elevator scenes. “So, so long ago,” she wrote. “I believe it was his first scene on the show, too, and he was nervous. He was so handsome, and I thought, ‘But can this guy act?’ And of course he could, and did, and the rest is history.”
She continued: “One of the things I loved about Eric was his sensitivity and vulnerability (and intelligence, of course), but he had the gravitas [and] old soul that made his work magnetic and made him a great friend off set. In those early days of Grey’s, as with most network TV shows, we spent more time with each other than with anyone else, and so we became a family of sorts, and Eric was such a source of support and love.”
Dane died at age 53 on Friday, less than a year after announcing he’d been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. In the time since, he advocated for ALS research, played a character with ALS on Brilliant Minds, and joined the board of directors of Target ALS.
“ALS is an awful disease, [and] too many people have lost loved ones to it,” Walsh concluded in her Instagram post. “I know it was Eric’s mission to help find a cure. I would encourage you to look into @targetals in his memory.”
