Eric Dane rejected sex symbol label

Grey’s Anatomy alum Eric Dane never viewed himself as the heartthrob audiences saw on screen.

The actor, who died on February 19 at age 53, nearly a year after revealing his ALS diagnosis, debuted exactly 20 years earlier on the same date as Dr. Mark Sloan, famously nicknamed McSteamy. 

The character, a former best friend of Patrick Dempsey’s character and romantic rival to Kate Walsh’s Dr. Addison Shepherd, was initially portrayed as a charming but complicated surgeon before revealing a deeply loyal and compassionate side.

Speaking to People in 2014, two years after his character’s death on the series, Dane reflected on the intense attention tied to his looks. “I didn’t see myself as a sex symbol,” he said. He noted that fame arriving later in life ultimately helped him stay grounded.

Dane began working steadily in television during the 1990s before landing his breakthrough role as Dr. Mark Sloan, whose friendship with Dr. Derek Shepherd helped shape some of the show’s most memorable storylines. 

Fans often compared the characters’ nicknames, McSteamy and McDreamy, although Dane had previously joked that there was no real-life rivalry.