Eric Dane was once a member of Grey’s Anatomy’s main cast, and his exit from this series was quite abrupt. Many years have passed since, and he opened up about his departure in a recent interview, saying he understood why he was let go from the popular medical drama.
Dane spent eight seasons playing plastic surgent Mark Sloan aka McSteamy, but his character eventually met a tragic end. He died in a plane crash alongside Lexie Grey, and Seattle Grace Mercy West was later renamed Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital in their honor.
Dane recently opened up about his exit during an appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast. He admitted that he struggled with sobriety and the pressure of mounting fame during his time on Grey’s Anatomy, saying these factors probably contributed to his exit after he got too expensive for the network.
“I wasn’t the same guy they had hired. So I had understood when I was let go. And Shonda [Rhimes] was really great. She protected us fiercely. She protected us publicly. She protected us privately. … But I was probably fired,” said Dane.
Dane went on to star in another hit series after leaving Grey’s Anatomy behind him—HBO’s hit teen drama Euphoria. He most recently appeared in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and will next be seen in the Amazon series Countdown.
