Eric Dane reveals why he was let go from ‘Grey's Anatomy’ in posthumous memoir and it wasn't addiction
Eric Dane, who played Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan on ‘Grey’s Anatomy,' shared why his tenure on the ABC medical drama ended, saying it came down to finances rather than his addiction. People reported that according to an excerpt from his posthumous memoir, ‘My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments,’ Dane wrote that he had become too expensive for the show to retain. “The reason comes down to money,” Dane wrote.
Although addiction was not the primary reason for his exit, Dane acknowledged that it did not help his chances with the production. “Despite Mark Sloan’s popularity, I have become too expensive. I have become expendable,” he wrote. He checked into rehab five times during the show’s hiatuses and after his time on the series. He also described how he relapsed after herniating a cervical disc during a workout-related injury around 2008. Toward the end of his tenure, he was emotionally checked out and believed he was ready to exit. Series creator Shonda Rhimes offered him emotional support on more than one occasion, and by the end of Season 8 in 2012, she informed him that he would not return for Season 9.
Notably, this was not the first time Dane claimed the network was the reason for his exit. On the Armchair Expert podcast in 2024, he told the host, Dax Shepard, that he was “probably fired” as actors who continued on a show for years became expensive for a network. He added that ABC knew that the show had the potential to continue as long as Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) was on board. "I wasn’t the same guy they had hired. So I had understood when I was let go," he added. He also praised Shonda Rhimes for protecting the cast both publicly and privately.
Mark Sloan debuted in Season 2 in 2006 as the hospital’s plastic surgeon, and fans have come to know him as McSteamy. His departure came at the end of Season 8, when a plane crash left him with fatal injuries and also claimed the life of Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh). The heartbreaking sequence played out in the Season 9 premiere. Fast forward to 2021, Dane reprised his role for a dream sequence in Season 17 with Leigh. After his exit, Dane played Cal Jacobs in HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ and received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 2022 Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards. Dane’s filmography includes ‘Marley & Me,’ ‘Valentine’s Day,’ and ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die.’ Moreover, the memoir is written as a series of “days,” focusing on his early years in Hollywood, his sobriety, and his ALS diagnosis. It also includes notes to his daughters, Billie and Georgia, for the years to come. ‘My Book of Days’ is set for release on November 3. The actor died on February 19, 2026, from ALS at the age of 53.
