After announcing his ALS diagnosis, the actor confirmed in April 2025 that he would return as Cal in the final installment of the hit HBO series
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NEED TO KNOW
- Eric Dane died at the age of 53 on Thursday, Feb. 19
- He announced in April 2025 that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Days after announcing his diagnosis, he confirmed he would be filming Euphoria’s third season
Eric Dane filmed episodes of the upcoming Euphoria season 3 before his death, his rep confirms to PEOPLE.
The actor died on Thursday, Feb. 19, PEOPLE confirmed. He was 53.
Dane revealed in April 2025 that he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and told PEOPLE he wanted to continue acting. PEOPLE confirmed at the time that Dane was set to start filming Euphoria season 3 on April 14, 2025.
“I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of Euphoria next week," he said.
Shortly after Dane's family confirmed his death in a statement to PEOPLE, Euphoria creator Sam Levinson issued a statement paying tribute to the late actor.
"I’m heartbroken by the loss of our dear friend Eric,” Levinson said, Deadline reports. “Working with him was an honor. Being his friend was a gift. Eric’s family is in our prayers. May his memory be for a blessing."
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“We are deeply saddened by the news of Eric Dane’s passing," an HBO spokesperson added. "He was incredibly talented and HBO was fortunate to have worked with him on three seasons of Euphoria. Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”
Dane starred as Cal Jacobs, father of Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi). After the season 2 finale aired in February 2022, Dane told Variety his character would return with a "redemption" arc.
"I mean, that's the trajectory he's on," he told Variety. "I can't imagine Cal's life in solitary confinement. It's tough to work Cal into the storyline when he's behind bars."
"It keeps me sharp. It keeps me moving forward," Dane told E! News in June of his decision to keep acting.
"I feel great when I'm at work," he continued. "Of course, there have been some sort of setbacks, but I feel pretty good. My spirit is always pretty buoyant, so at the end of the day, that's all that matters."
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In addition to starring in Euphoria after announcing his diagnosis, the actor also appeared in an episode of Brilliant Minds, in which he played Matthew, a firefighter and 9/11 hero struggling to tell his wife about his ALS diagnosis.
In a December 2025 virtual panel, Dane said it was challenging to separate himself from his Brilliant Minds character, adding that it was "so real" for him. However, it was the "cathartic" experience that he ultimately felt "grateful" for.
The actor went on to candidly discussed the realities of living with ALS. "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," he said. "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."
The actor also emphasized the importance of bringing awareness to ALS, saying he wants people to "start working on a solution."
There's currently no cure for the rare degenerative disease, and people usually live three to five years after diagnosis, according to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. While some patients can live decades, it also causes patients to slowly lose their ability to speak, eat, walk, and breathe independently.
Euphoria season 3 premieres on HBO on April 12.
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