The actor playing Dr. Mark Sloan (a.k.a. McSteamy) on the hit series reflects on his departure from the hit medical drama after six seasons and reveals the reasons behind his exit.
- Jun 29, 2024
AceShowbiz - Eric Dane, who played Dr. Mark Sloan (a.k.a. McSteamy) on "Grey's Anatomy" for six seasons, has opened up about his departure from the show. During an appearance on the "Armchair Expert" podcast, Dane revealed that he was let go from the series in 2012.
While Dane was struggling with addiction at the time, he believes the decision to terminate his contract was primarily financial. "I was starting to become very expensive for the network. And the network knows that the show is going to do what it's going to do irrespective of who they keep on it," he explained.
Dane praised show creator Shonda Rhimes for her support, saying, "She protected us fiercely. She protected us publicly, she protected us privately. I love Shonda Rhimes and she protected me."
The actor also admitted that he relapsed during the Writers Guild of America Strike in 2007. "If you take the whole eight years I was on Grey's Anatomy, I was f**ked up longer than I was sober. And that was when things started going sideways for me," he said.
Dane's character was killed off in a deadly plane crash in season 11. He later returned for a guest appearance in season 17 alongside his on-screen love, Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh).
In a statement at the time of his departure, Dane expressed his gratitude to everyone involved in the show. "After much consideration and conversations, he and I have decided that this is the right time for his storyline to end," show creator Shonda Rhimes said. "We're a big family here at Grey‘s with a long history together and Eric will always remain an important part of our family."
