Eric Dane says he one has ‘1 functioning arm’ amid ALS battle

It’s been a sobering journey for Eric Dane since being diagnosed with ALS.

The Grey’s Anatomy alum sat down with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America in his first TV interview since revealing his diagnosis in April, opening up about the symptoms affecting his way of life.

“My left side is functioning, my right side has completely stopped working,” the 52-year-old actor added, noting that his left arm has also been getting weaker. “I feel like maybe a couple more months and I won’t have my left hand either. It’s sobering.”

Dane first announced his ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) diagnosis in April, after nine months of testing.

“I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter,” the actor said at the time. “I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to the set of Euphoria next week. I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”

ALS is a progressive nervous system disease that affects cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control. Over time, it impairs patients’ ability to breathe, speak, and move, leading to full paralysis, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is 100 percent fatal, and there is no cure.

Dane told Sawyer that he first started having symptoms a year and a half ago when he began to experience weakness in his right hand.

“I didn’t really think anything of it at the time,” Dane recalled. “I thought maybe I’d been texting too much or my hand was fatigued, but a few weeks later, I noticed it got a little worse. So I went and saw a hand specialist, who sent me to another hand specialist. I went and saw a neurologist, and the neurologist sent me to another neurologist and said, ‘This is way above my pay grade.'”

“I will never forget those three letters,” Dane said. “It’s on me the second I wake up. It’s not a dream.”

Dane attributed his strength to the support of his wife, actress and model Rebecca Gayheart, and their two children.

“We have managed to become better friends and better parents,” he said of Gayheart, whom he’s been married to since 2004. “She is probably my biggest champion and my most stalwart supporter, and I lean on her.”

While Dane is adamant that this isn’t the end of his story, he admitted that he is worried about the functionality of his legs. The Euphoria star recounted a snorkeling adventure with his daughter during which he realized he didn’t have enough energy to swim. Dane said that his daughter “dragged” him back to the boat.

“I was like, breaking down in tears,” he recalled. “I made sure she got back to the water with her friend and continued on with the snorkeling. I was just heartbroken.”

Still, Dane is adamant that he will continue battling for as much agency as possible as his ALS progresses. “In my heart, I don’t feel like this is the end for me,” he told Sawyer. “I’m fighting as much as I can. There’s so much about it that’s out of my control.”

“I’m angry because my father was taken from me when I was young, and now there’s a very good chance I’m going to be taken from my girls when they’re very young,” Dane added.

Dane has starred as Nate’s (Jacob Elordi) father, Cal Jacobs, on the hit HBO show Euphoria since its debut in 2019. Season 3 finally began production in April, the same month Dane announced his diagnosis, more than three years since the season 2 finale aired.

The actor also stars in the Amazon Prime Video series Countdown, premiering on June 25. 

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Watch Dane’s full Good Morning America interview above.