Eric Dane has no plans to stop acting as he battles amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The actor clarified in a Tuesday panel discussion put on by I Am ALS and “Brilliant Minds” that he will take on “ALS-centric” roles in the future because he is “fairly limited in what [he] can do physically.”
“I still have my brain, and I still have my speech,” he explained, noting that he is “willing to do just about anything.”
Dane, 53, added, “It’s going to be very difficult for me to play any other role where. … You know, look at the 800-pound gorilla in the room. I’m fine with that.”
The “Grey’s Anatomy” alum, who went public with his diagnosis in April, said he is “grateful” to “still work in any capacity.”
He made headlines last month for his role in “Brilliant Minds” as Matthew, a firefighter struggling to tell his family about his ALS.
Dane reflected on this opportunity Tuesday, saying, “I’ve never played a character who’s going through something and something I’m dealing with in real time, in real life as well. So it was hard and there were moments where it was very difficult for me to even get the lines out.
“But overall, I was really grateful for the experience,” the “Euphoria” star continued, calling it “cathartic.”
He credited creator Michael Grassi and writer Daniela Lamas for being “so great” and “sort of shepherding along this tired old actor can barely speak.”
Dane gushed, “[They] put me into a position for great success, and I’m grateful for them for that.”
The role marked the first show he has filmed since being diagnosed.
Grassi told USA Today last week about the unprecedented way Dane was honored on set.
“I have never seen this happen in my entire career, but he essentially got a 10-minute standing ovation after shooting that scene, because it was so beautiful and so honest and so real,” he revealed.
Grassi highlighted how “vulnerable” and “really important” it was for Dane “to come out and share this part of [him]self” publicly.
Dane gave a rare health update during the virtual panel, saying he “has no reason to be in a good spirit” but maintains a “buoyant” attitude.
“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. “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.”
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