“Grey’s Anatomy” alum Eric Dane opened up about how he overcomes troublesome occasions with out leaning on medicine and alcohol after embracing sobriety.
Throughout an interview with Fox Information Digital, the 58-year-old actor who’s starring within the new film, “One Fast Move,” mirrored on his strategy to getting by hardships after battling habit.
“Sometimes you just hang on and understand that this too shall pass,” Dane mentioned. “I never expected life — no matter what your circumstances are — to be easy all the time.”
Eric Dane mirrored on how he overcomes the “down times” with out utilizing substances and alcohol after changing into sober. (Getty Photos)
He continued, “So I think understanding that not everything is going to be a walk in the park has certainly prepared me to put myself in the best position to weather some of the down times.”
“They come fast and furious, and a lot of the times all you can do is just hang on and know that it’s going to pass,” Dane added. “And I now not use substances and alcohol and issues of that nature to cope with any of that stuff, good or unhealthy.”
“It’s not celebratory, and it’s not something I pick up when … things aren’t great. And the only way out is through.”
WATCH: ‘GREY’S ANATOMY’ ALUM ERIC DANE ON HOW HE OVERCOMES ‘DOWN TIMES’ AFTER BECOMING SOBER
In a June look on Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast, Dane defined the true purpose behind his departure from “Grey’s Anatomy.” The actor performed beloved plastic surgeon Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan on the hit ABC collection.
Whereas talking with Shepard, Dane mentioned that when he booked the collection fronted by Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo, he’d been “sober for three or four years.”
“So I had my wits about me and I sort of knew what reality was and what reality wasn’t,” he shared “And I was able to differentiate between the two. And I was able to sort of conceptualize what that was, keep it in its place, enjoy it, dip in every now and again and come back.”
Dane was first launched on “Grey’s Anatomy” as Dr. Mark Sloan in season 2. He turned a collection common in season 3. (Bob DAmico/Disney Basic Leisure Content material by way of Getty Photos)
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Dane joined the present as a collection common in season three after his character generated buzz in a scorching towel scene within the second season.
“I think the net-net is I didn’t really handle it very well,” he mentioned. “Because if you take the whole eight years on ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ I was f—ed up longer than I was sober. And that’s when things started going sideways for me.”
Dane instructed Shepard he relapsed sooner or later throughout his stint on the present whereas attempting to handle the expectations of enjoying such a revered and pined-for character on tv.
“It was overwhelming, and I think I just wanted to pretend that it wasn’t and that I was comfortable with it. Act like you’ve been there, but you haven’t been there,” he mentioned. “It’s very hard to sort of digest,” he mentioned of the celebrity.
His character was killed off within the second episode of season 9, which aired in October 2012. In 2013, Dane instructed Leisure Weekly that his departure was giving him an opportunity to discover different avenues.
Nonetheless, Dane revealed to Shepard that he’d really been “let go” from the present.
The actor created a buzz when he appeared sporting nothing however a towel. (Vivian Zink/Disney Basic Leisure Content material by way of Getty Photos)
“I didn’t leave so much as I think I was let go. I was struggling. They didn’t let me go because of that, although it definitely didn’t help,” mentioned Dane, who checked into rehab in 2011 for a painkiller habit.
“I used to be beginning to grow to be, as most of those actors who’ve spent vital time on a present, you begin to grow to be very costly for the community. And the community is aware of that the present goes to do what it should do, no matter who they carry on it. So long as they’ve their ‘Grey,’ they’re fine.”
“I wasn’t the same guy they had hired, so I had understood when I was let go. And [creator] Shonda [Rhimes] was really great. She protected us fiercely. She protected us publicly, she protected us privately.”
During his interview with Fox News Digital, Dane elaborated on why he said that he “wasn’t the same guy” that Rhimes and the show’s producers hired.
WATCH: ‘GREY’S ANATOMY’ ALUM ERIC DANE DIDN’T BLAME SHOW FOR DROPPING HIM WHILE HE STRUGGLED WITH ADDICTION
“I was struggling with some personal things, and they affected me outwardly,” the “X-Men: The Last Stand” actor admitted.
“And they affected how I was doing my job,” he continued. “And so, that’s what I meant by [saying] I wasn’t the same guy that they had hired.”
‘GREY’S ANATOMY’ STAR ERIC DANE ENTERS REHAB FOR PAINKILLER ADDICTION
“I didn’t necessarily blame them for letting me go,” Dane added. “I understood. I was like, ‘OK, I understand that. That makes sense to me. No hard feelings. Thank you for the nine, eight, nine beautiful years I spent with you guys. And thanks for, at times, tolerating some of my nonsense. And thanks for appreciating the contributions I made to that show.’”
“I have nothing but love for all of those people. I was just with [former ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ co-star] Justin Chambers yesterday.”
Dane was struggling together with his sobriety whereas filming the present. (Gale Adler/Disney Basic Leisure Content material by way of Getty Photos)
In 2021, Dane reprised his function for the primary time in 9 years when he appeared in a dream sequence in a single episode of the present’s seventeenth season.
Throughout a current interview with Individuals journal, Dane admitted that whereas he has solely watched a “few episodes” of “Grey’s Anatomy” since his departure, his daughters “have seen every episode.” The actor shares daughters Beatrice, 14, and Georgia, 12, with ex-wife Rebecca Gayheart.
Whereas talking with Fox Information Digital, Dane revealed how Beatrice and Georgia reacted to his “McSteamy” nickname.
“They’re old enough now to understand what the references is, and they’re also old enough now to think that’s kind of cheesy or campy,” he mentioned.
“They’re like,’ Wow, Dad,” Dane recalled. “‘Couldn’t have come up with anything better?’ I’m like, ‘Honey, that’s it. It works, babe.’ At the time, it worked and worked for a very long time.”
Dane is now starring within the new motion movie “One Fast Move” alongside KJ Apa, Maia Reficco, Edward James Olmos and Austin North. Directed and written by Kelly Blatz, the film follows “a young man (Apa) [who] seeks out his estranged father (Dane) to pursue his dream of becoming a professional motorcycle racer,” based on a plot synopsis.
Danen and KJ Apa are starring within the new motion film “One Fast Move.” (Amazon Prime Video)
“With help from his love interest and a motorcycle shop owner, he begins to break down the walls his father’s absence had created.”
Throughout his interview with Fox Information Digital, Dane defined how he educated to painting knowledgeable bike racer in “One Fast Move.”
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“I knew how to ride a bike before shooting this,” he mentioned. “I’ve never ridden on a track, which was fun. But I was surprised to find out that K.J. had never ridden a motorcycle before shooting this picture.”
“And he was actually pretty, pretty adept on that thing. He was pretty good on the motorcycle.”
Although he had some prior expertise with bike using, Dane instructed Fox Information Digital that he did not give his co-star any suggestions.
“I’m not good enough to give anybody advice,” he mentioned. “Be careful. Take it easy. Go slow, young buck.”
WATCH: ERIC DANE ON HIS NEW ACTION MOVIE ‘ONE FAST MOVE’: ‘IT’S KIND OF A BEAUTIFUL STORY’
The California native additionally weighed in on the message that he hopes audiences take away from the film.
“It’s interesting,” Dane mentioned. “It’s not your stereotypical feel-good film, but I think by the end of the film, you kind of walk away with the sense that there was some real healing done between two somewhat lost and…sort of misguided, misdirected people, who were also largely misunderstood.”
“They find each other, and they go through what they go through so that they can heal their circumstances, and they have only realized that at the end, they’re really like – they’re free,” he continued.
The actor performs the estranged father of Apa’s character, who desires of being knowledgeable bike racer. (Amazon Prime Video)
“They find each other, and they heal each other, and then they realize they don’t need each other. You know what I’m saying?” Dane added.
“It’s kind of a beautiful story.”
“One Fast Move” debuted in theaters on Aug. 8.
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Fox Information Digital’s Caroline Thayer contributed to this report.
