Eric Dane, known for his role as Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan on “Grey’s Anatomy,” recently opened up about his departure from the popular ABC medical drama. Dane, who played the character for over six seasons until his exit in the season nine premiere in 2012, shared his belief that he was not the one who decided to leave the show. Instead, he thinks he was let go.
In a candid conversation on Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast, Dane said, “I didn’t leave so much as I think I was let go.” The actor, who now stars in HBO’s “Euphoria,” clarified that while he was dealing with substance addiction at the time, that wasn’t the primary reason for his exit. “They didn’t let me go because of that, although it definitely didn’t help,” he explained.
Dane, now 51, elaborated on the financial dynamics that often come into play for long-running TV shows. “I was starting to become—as most of these actors who have spent significant time on a show—you start to become very expensive for the network. And the network knows that the show is going to do what it’s going to do, irrespective of who they keep on it. As long as they have their [Meredith] Grey, they’re fine,” he said.
Reflecting on his state at the time, Dane admitted, “I wasn’t the same guy they had hired. So I had understood when I was let go.” Despite the circumstances, he expressed gratitude towards Shonda Rhimes, the show’s creator. “Shonda was really great. She protected us fiercely,” he said, adding, “But I was probably fired. It wasn’t ceremoniously like, ‘You’re fired,’ it was just like, ‘You’re not coming back.'”
In July 2011, just months before the premiere of season eight, Dane checked into a rehab center. His representative stated at the time that he was seeking treatment “to help him get off of pain medication that he was prescribed for a sports injury.” On the podcast, Dane delved deeper into his addiction struggles, revealing that he had been sober for “three or four years” when he joined “Grey’s Anatomy” but relapsed during the Writers Guild of America’s strike in 2007. “If you take the whole eight years on Grey’s Anatomy, I was f–ked up longer than I was sober,” he admitted. “And that’s when things started going sideways for me.”
After his departure from “Grey’s Anatomy,” Dane went on to star in TNT’s “The Last Ship,” which concluded after five seasons in 2018. He also took on the role of Cal Jacobs in HBO’s “Euphoria” and stars alongside Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in the new film “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” currently in theaters.
Dane’s reflections on his time on “Grey’s Anatomy” and his subsequent career moves offer a glimpse into the challenges and complexities faced by actors in long-running TV shows. His candidness about his struggles with addiction and the financial pressures of the industry provide a deeper understanding of the factors that can influence an actor’s career trajectory.
Source: E! News
