According to Yahoo, Eric Dane (Grey’s Anatomy, Euphoria) appeared in the Netflix series Famous Last Words, in which he issued sincere statement to his daughters. Dane passed away this past Thursday after a long battle with ALS. He went public about his diagnosis ten months ago. Dane leaves behind a wife, two daughters, and his family, which was a central point of his interview with Netflix. His wife, actress Rebecca Greyheart (Ugly Betty, G.B.F.),, and his two daughters, aged 14 and 16 with him in his final moments.
His words of advice for his children were as follows: “Billie and Georgia, these words are for you. “I tried. I stumbled sometimes, but I tried. Overall, we had a blast, didn’t we? I see you now playing in the ocean for hours, my water babies. Those days, pun intended, were heaven. I want to tell you four things I’ve learned from this disease, and I hope you don’t just listen to me. I hope you’ll hear me,” via Yahoo.
Dane touched on the regrets of his own life when addressing his daughters, bemoaning the fact that he “wallowing and worrying in self-pity, shame and doubt,” via Yahoo.
He continued, “I shouldn’t have done this. I never should’ve that.’ No more. Out of pure survival, I am forced to stay in the present. But I don’t want to be anywhere else. The past contains regrets. The future remains unknown. So you have to live now. The present is all you have. Treasure it. Cherish every moment,” via Yahoo.
Dane encourages them to seek love instead of purely achievement, “That love eventually got me through my darkest hours, my darkest days, my darkest year. I still love my work, I still look forward to it, I still want to get in front of a camera and play my part. My work doesn’t define me, but it excites me,” via Yahoo.
Dane went on to speak on who his children surround themselves with and how they can enhance your life, “Find your people and allow them to find you. And then give yourselves to them. The best of them will give back to you. No judgment, no conditions, no questions asked, he tells them on the show,” via Yahoo.
He spoke on the friends that he made helped him through his battle with ALS, stating “every single one has stepped up,” via Yahoo.
Dane would eventually touch on how ALS affected his life, but also what he learned from the struggle, “I can’t do little things I used to do. I can’t drive around, go to the gym, get coffee, or hang out. But I’ve learned to embrace alternatives. My friends come to me, we eat together, watch a game, listen to music. They don’t do anything special; they just show up. That’s a big one. Just show up. And love your friends with everything you have. Hang onto them. They will entertain you, guide you, help you, support you and some will save you,”via Yahoo.
His final words for his daughters summarized what he learned from his life and how they can take his experiences into the future, “So when something unexpected hits you, and it will because that’s life, fight and face it with honesty, integrity and grace, even if it feels or seems insurmountable. I hope I’ve demonstrated that you can face anything. You can face the end of your days. You can face hell with dignity. Fight, girls, and hold your heads high,” via Yahoo.
Outside of his message to his daughters, he delved into his past, discussing the trials he faced beyond the disease. “I think trauma reaches somebody on a cellular level, it’s really hard to get it out of your system … The only thing you do is learn how to deal with it. I’ve been working through them very long. I ended up going to a treatment center for trauma and depression … solely related to my dad, because that’s where the trauma came from,” via Yahoo.
According to Yahoo, Dane spent time at a drug treatment facility in 2011, and in 2017 was forced to take a hiatus from the show The Last Ship due to mental health struggles. Greyheart and Dane were separated for 7 years after fourteen years of marriage. The couple would eventually come together again, filing to dismiss divorce motions at the end of Dane’s life.
Yahoo has reported that the Netflix series takes inspiration from the Dutch series Det Sidste Ord. Dane was the second interviewee of the American version. The first episode featured famed anthropologist Jane Goodall, who died in October.