NEED TO KNOW
- Eric Dane traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for the reauthorization of ACT for ALS on Monday, Sept. 29
- ACT for ALS was signed in 2021, and is set to expire in 2026
- Dane said he was “going to fight to the last breath on this one” regarding his ALS diagnosis and the resources available for others living with the condition
Eric Dane is advocating for the reauthorization of ACT for ALS.
On Monday, Sept. 29, the actor, 52, traveled to Washington, D.C. with the nonprofit organization I AM ALS. Members of the organization – including staff members Andrea Goodman and Dustin Watson, board member Dan Tate and Legislative Affairs Team co-chair Jack Silva – joined Dane in a meeting with U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey, according to a post the organization shared on social media.
In a TikTok video shared by U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, Dane spoke about his ALS journey.
“ALS is the last thing they want to diagnose anybody with,” Dane told the Democratic politician. “So often, it takes all this time for these people to be diagnosed, well, then it precludes them from being a part of these clinical trials.”
He added, “That’s why ACT for ALS is so so great, and it’s because it broadens the access for everybody.”
The actor, who shares daughters Billie Beatrice Dane, 15, and Georgia Geraldine, 13, with wife Rebecca Gayheart, went on to open up about his hopes for his family’s future.
“I have two daughters at home. I want to see them, you know, graduate college, and get married and maybe have grandkids. You know, I want to be there for all that. So I’m going to fight to the last breath on this one,” the actor said.
When Swalwell, 44, expressed his support for ALS advocacy, he asked Dane if there was anything else he could do. Dane humorously quipped, “Refill that espresso, maybe, I’m a little tired, man.”
On Sept. 15, the Euphoria star took to Instagram to reveal a partnership with I AM ALS. In the video, he cosigned the group’s new Push for Progress campaign, which aims to raise $1 billion for research over the next three years.
“I’m Eric, an actor, a father and now a person living with ALS,” Dane said. The star remained seated during the brief clip, wearing a shirt that read “I AM ALS.”
He continued, “For over a century, ALS has been incurable, and we’re done accepting the status quo. We need the fastest path to a cure, and that’s why I partnered with I Am ALS on the Push for Progress. Our goal: a billion dollars over the next three years.”
“Together, we’ll renew the landmark law Act for ALS, give promising treatments to thousands of patients like me, and finally, finally, push towards ending this disease,” he continued, urging his followers to join the cause.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Act for ALS is a law that was signed in 2021 and is set to expire in 2026.
“This bill establishes grant programs to address neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease),” a summary from Congress reads.
Dane exclusively revealed his ALS diagnosis to PEOPLE in April 2025.
Read the full article here
