Quote Of The Day By Eric Dane: 'Fall In Love With Something. Find Your Passion, Your Joy. Find The Thing That...'

"Grey's Anatomy' alum Eric Dane had plenty to consider as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, slowly took away his ability to speak and move. 

The actor announced in 2025 that he'd been diagnosed with the progressive disease. Before then, he'd best been known for playing "Grey's Anatomy" Dr. Mark "McSteamy" Sloan, a character introduced in Season 2 of ABC's hit drama. All told, Dane appeared in nine seasons of the primetime soap. 

His other TV work included roles on "Charmed," "The Last Ship," "Kabul," "Countdown," and "Brilliant Minds," as well as playing deeply flawed dad Cal on HBO's "Euphoria." Dane's work on the final season of the dark drama, which filmed as his disease progressed, aired after his death on Feb. 19, 2026. 

Dane's perspective on life — as he drew near the end of his — makes him today's quote of the day.

"Fall in love with something. Find your passion, your joy. Find the thing that makes you want to get up in the morning, drives you through the entire day."

The quote above comes from Eric Dane's episode of Netflix's "Famous Last Words," a series in which people are interviewed prior to their death with the understanding that the conversation will be released after they've passed. At the end of each interview, the subject is left to directly address the camera with whatever message they choose. Dane's final words, cited above, were part of the advice he offered to his adolescent daughters, Georgia and Billie.

Though Eric Dane's words were meant to provide comfort and guidance for his children, they apply to the rest of us, as well. A life lived without passion for something, whatever that something is, is an existence devoid of the best aspects of being human. Love — for another person, for a project, for a pet, for an ideal — can bring an added meaning to even the most mundane aspects of daily life.

Later in the "Famous Last Words" interview, Dane singled out acting as his first love and a balm when his life got tough. "My work doesn't define me, but it excites me," he said. "Find something that excites you. Find your path, your purpose, your dream. Then go for it. Really go for it."

Good advice for us all, no?

* "Fight with every ounce of your being, and with dignity. When you face challenges, health or otherwise, fight. Never give up. Fight until your last breath. This disease is slowly taking my body, but it will never take my spirit." — From Eric Dane's "Famous Last Words" episode

* "There's no reason for me to be happy in any individual moment, but I am." — From Eric Dane's "Famous Last Words" episode

* "Choose your friends wisely. Find your people and allow them to find you. And then give yourselves to them. The best of them will give back to you." — From Eric Dane's "Famous Last Words" episode

* "Eighty percent of the work was done for me the second I put that uniform on. You walk a little taller. You stand up a little straighter. My hat's off to these people in the military, the sacrifices they make to keep us all safe." — Dane on playing U.S. Navy Capt. Tom Chandler in "The Last Ship"

* "I always want these characters to go out in flames." — Dane on his preferred endings for his on-screen alter egos