Patrick Dempsey Gets Choked Up When Asked About Death of 'Beloved' 'Grey's Anatomy' Costar Eric Dane

Patrick Dempsey was visibly emotional when asked about the death of his friend and Grey's Anatomy costar Eric Dane.

In an interview published on Tuesday, February 24, the actor, 60, looked downcast as the journalist described losing someone close as "awful, stark and life-altering."

"I lost my father very young, and my mother's passed, and now several friends in the last year I've lost," Dempsey expressed. "Eric was so beloved, and I think he would really be so happy to know, and I know a lot of people reached out to him before his passing to keep track that he was so beloved and is deeply missed."

He initially honored Dane on the Friday, February 20, episode of Virgin Radio U.K.’s The Chris Evans Breakfast Show just one day after the Euphoria actor's passing on February 19, at age 53.

"I just woke up this morning, and it was very sad to read the news. It’s hard to put into words. I feel really so sad for his children," Dempsey said of Dane, who shared daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, with estranged wife Rebecca Gayheart.

Dane announced his ALS diagnosis in April 2025 and deteriorated quickly in his final days.

"I was corresponding with him, we were texting so I spoke to him about a week ago and some friends of ours went in to see him and he was really starting to lose his ability to speak," Dempsey explained. "He was bedridden and it was very hard for him to swallow so the quality of his life was deteriorating so rapidly."

The Enchanted star looked back fondly on his time filming Grey's Anatomy with Dane.

"He was the funniest man — he was such a joy to work with and I want to just remember him in that spirit because any time he was on set, he brought so much fun to it," Dempsey recalled. “He had a great sense of humor. He was easy to work with. We got along instantly. First scene was him, you know, in all his glory, coming out of the bathroom with the towel on looking amazing, making you feel completely out of shape and insignificant."

The 60-year-old added, “We hit it off because it was never really any competition. There was just this wonderful mutual respect, he’s wickedly intelligent and I’m always going to remember those moments of fun that we had together and celebrate the joy that he did bring to people’s lives and the real loss is for us who don’t have them anymore.”