Eric Dane Biography

Eric Dane is an American actor. After appearing in television roles throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he became known for playing Dr. Mark "McSteamy" Sloan on the series Grey's Anatomy, and branched into film, co-starring in Marley & Me, Valentine's Day, and Burlesque.

Early Life

Dane was born in San Francisco, California, to a homemaker mother, Leah, and an interior designer/architect father. Dane is Jewish. He has a younger brother and attended Sequoia High School in Redwood City, California, from 1987 to 1990. Dane was an athlete in high school, but decided to pursue a career in acting after appearing in a school production of Arthur Miller's All My Sons.

Career

In 1993, Dane moved to Los Angeles, where he played small roles in the television series Saved by the Bell, The Wonder Years, Roseanne, and Married With Children, among others. But in 2000, he was signed for a recurring role in Gideon's Crossing, and followed this with a two-season run in Charmed.

His made-for-television movie credits included two biopics, Serving in Silence (about Margarethe Cammermeyer's experiences in the military), and Helter Skelter, in which he portrayed Charles "Tex" Watson, a member of the Manson family.

Dane's first major feature film appearance was in The Basket (1999). He also appeared in Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane, Sol Goode, Feast, Open Water 2, and X-Men: The Last Stand.

In 2005, Dane guested as Dr. Mark Sloan (nicknamed "McSteamy" by Meredith Grey) in "Yesterday," the eighteenth episode of the second season of the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Positive audience reaction to the character led to Dane's becoming a regular in the show's third season.

His first appearance in the season, in which he walked out of the bathroom soaking wet and wearing only a strategically placed towel, was labeled a "watercooler moment".

In December 2006, he starred in the A&E TV movie Wedding Wars as the brother of a gay man (played by John Stamos) who goes on strike in support of marriage equality. Dane, alongside Patrick Dempsey, appeared in the same big-screen project, the 2010 romantic comedy Valentine's Day.

The Garry Marshall-directed film followed five interconnecting stories about Los Angelinos anticipating (or in some cases dreading) the holiday. Dane is represented by Creative Artists Agency, and William Choi of Management 360.

Personal Life

He married actress Rebecca Gayheart on October 29, 2004. Dane and Gayheart's first child, Billie Beatrice, was born on March 3, 2010.

On February 6, 2008, celebrity news magazine OK! reported that Dane was diagnosed with skin cancer, and was recovering after having malignant tissue removed from his lip. However, on February 13, Dane's representative told Us Weekly that Dane does not have cancer and was "mortified" by the erroneous information. Dane was said to be considering legal action.