Why Eric Dane Is Determined To Share ALS Battle Despite Having ‘No Reason To Be In A Good Spirit’

Eric Dane is determined to continue fighting ALS as openly as he can. The “Grey’s Anatomy” star went public with his diagnosis in April and has since become an advocate for others affected by the illness, including on a recent episode of NBC’s “Brilliant Minds” in which he played a firefighter and 9/11 first responder struggling to tell his family he has ALS. Eric opened up about taking on the character while facing his own real-life ALS journey, sharing in a Giving Tuesday panel for the patient-led I AM ALS movement that he didn’t expect to discover the drive he’s had to give back during this challenging experience. “I have no reason to be in a good spirit at any time, on any given day. I don’t think anybody would blame me if I went upstairs in my bedroom, crawled under the sheets, and spent the next two weeks crying. And I was a little bit pleasantly surprised when I realized that I wasn’t built like that, because I thought for sure that was gonna be me,” he said, adding, “I think it’s imperative that I share my journey with as many people as I can because I don’t feel like my life is about me anymore. And it’s something I’ve had to wrestle with because I’m a pretty selfish person, and I’d love for my life to be all about me, but I just can’t—I don’t think I’d be able to move forward if that were the case.” Eric’s “Brilliant Minds” appearance marked the first on-screen role he’d taken since his diagnosis and he noted that the work didn’t come without struggle, but he learned how he can stay dedicated to his craft as an actor within the confines of his condition.