Eric Dane gave one final interview months before his death, sharing his last words for his teenage daughters.
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On Feb. 19, the beloved actor passed away at 53, just 10 months after publicly revealing his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Before his death, Dane recorded a final interview with Netflix for their new series Famous Last Words. The interview was conducted privately and released only after his passing.
At the end of the interview, Dane was left alone with the camera. He addressed his teenage daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, directly.
“Billie and Georgia, these words are for you,” the Grey’s Anatomy alum began. “I tried. I stumbled sometimes, but I tried. Overall, we had a blast, didn’t we?”
Dane, who shared his daughters with ex Rebecca Gayheart, recalled memories of their time together at the beach. He said he would forever see them playing in the water.
“Those days, pun intended, pun intended were heaven,” he insisted.
Eric Dane’s Four Last Lessons For His Daughters
The Euphoria star said he wanted to impart four final lessons he’d learned from his disease, asking his daughters to listen.
“First, live now, right now in the present. It’s hard, but I learned to do that,” he said. “For years, I would wander off mentally, lost in my head for long chunks of time, wallowing in worry and self-pity, shame and doubt. I replayed decisions, second-guessed myself. ‘I shouldn’t have done this; I never should’ve done that.’ No more.”
Dane explained that “out of pure survival,” he was forced to stay in the present. With the past holding regrets and the future remaining unknown, he said the only way forward is to treasure the present moment.
“Second, fall in love. Not necessarily with a person, although I do recommend that as well. But fall in love with something,” Dane continued. “Find your passion, your joy. Find the thing that makes you wanna get up in the morning.”
Dane recounted falling in love with acting at his daughters’ age, a passion that still drove him. He urged them to find their own purpose and pursue it wholeheartedly.
“Third, choose your friends wisely. Find your people and allow them to find you, and then give yourselves to them,” Dane said. “The best of them will give back to you. No judgment; No conditions; No questions asked.”
Dane expressed deep gratitude to his friends for supporting him through his illness. Though he can no longer do things like going to the gym or driving, he’s thankful for their presence.
“Just show up,” he continued. “And love your friends with everything you have. Hang on to them. They will entertain you, guide you, support you, and some will save you.”
Dane’s Final Lesson For His Teen Daughters
In his final lesson, Dane urged his daughters to give it their all and never give up.
“Finally, fight with every ounce of your being and with dignity. When you face challenges, health or otherwise, fight,” he said. “Never give up. Fight until your last breath. This disease is slowly taking my body, but it will never take my spirit.”
Dane told his girls that while they are two different people, they both inherited his strength and resiliency.
“That’s my superpower,” he added of being resilient. “I bounce right up, and I keep coming back. I get up again and again and again. Mark says I’m like a cat. Except a cat has nine lives, and I’m on number 15, easily. So when something unexpected hits you, and it will, because that’s life, fight and face it with honesty, integrity, and grace, even if it feels or seems insurmountable.”
“I hope I’ve demonstrated that you can face anything. You can face the end of your days. You can face hell with dignity. Fight girls, and hold your heads high,” he added, through tears. “Billie and Georgia, you are my heart. You are my everything. Good night. I love you. Those are my last words.”
Netflix’s Famous Last Words with Eric Dane is streaming now.