Eric Dane
Dane at the red carpet of the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, April 2008
Born	Eric William Dane November 9, 1972 (1972-11-09) (age 37) San Francisco, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1991–2009
Spouse(s)	Rebecca Gayheart (2004-present)

Eric William Dane (born November 9, 1972) is an American actor, most recently known for his role as Dr. Mark Sloan in Grey's Anatomy.

[edit] Career

After appearing in a San Mateo High School production of Arthur Miller's All My Sons, Dane decided to pursue a career in acting. He moved to Los Angeles, where he played small roles in the television series Saved by the Bell, The Wonder Years, Roseanne, and Married With Children, among others. But in 2000, he was signed for a recurring role in Gideon's Crossing, and followed this with a two-season run in Charmed. His made-for-television movie credits included two biopics, Serving in Silence (about Margarethe Cammermeyer's experiences in the military), and Helter Skelter, in which he portrayed Charles "Tex" Watson, a member of the Manson family.

Dane's first major feature film appearance was in The Basket (1999). He also appeared in Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane, Sol Goode, Feast, Open Water 2, and X-Men: The Last Stand.

In 2005, Dane guested as Dr. Mark Sloan (nicknamed "McSteamy" by Meredith Grey) in "Yesterday," the eighteenth episode of the second season of the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Positive audience reaction to the character led to Dane's becoming a regular in the show's third season. His first appearance in the season, in which he walked out of the bathroom soaking wet and wearing only a strategically placed towel, was labeled a "watercooler moment".^[1]

In December 2006, he starred in the A&E TV movie Wedding Wars as the brother of a gay man (played by John Stamos) who goes on strike in support of marriage equality.

Eric Dane, alongside Patrick Dempsey, are bound for the same big-screen project, joining the estimable ensemble for the romantic comedy Valentine's Day. The Garry Marshall-directed film follows five interconnecting stories about Los Angelinos anticipating (or in some cases dreading) the holiday of love.^[2]

[edit] Personal life

Dane was born in San Francisco, California to a homemaker mother, Leah, and an interior designer/architect father.^[3][4] Dane is of the Jewish religion.^[5] He attended Sequoia High School in Redwood City, California from 1987 to 1990.

In 2001, Dane briefly became involved with actress Lara Flynn Boyle when the two met while filming crossover episodes of their respective drama series Gideon's Crossing and The Practice, both produced by David E. Kelley. He married actress Rebecca Gayheart on October 29, 2004. He is also close friends with actor Balthazar Getty.

On February 6, 2008, celebrity news magazine OK! reported that Dane was diagnosed with skin cancer, and was recovering after having malignant tissue removed from his lip.^[6] However, on February 13, Dane's representative told Us Weekly that Dane does not have cancer and was "mortified" by the erroneous information.^[7][8] Dane was said to be considering legal action.^[7]

On August 17, 2009, a home video was posted on the website Gawker.com that showed former Miss Teen USA contestant Kari Ann Peniche with Dane and wife Rebecca Gayheart. The three are nude and apparently under the influence of alcohol and drugs. They appear to be engaged in some sort of sexual situation, even though the 12 minute video was edited down to just 3 minutes. Midway through the clip, Gayheart says she has to lie down because she's "so high." Kari Ann Peniche also makes a reference to drugs being "fun," and there is a conversation referencing cocaine. The clip ends with both Gayheart and Peniche in a bathtub together, while Dane runs the camera and adds commentary.^[9][10][11]

Dane and his wife Rebecca are expecting a child.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Eric Dane at the Internet Movie Database
• Eric Dane at TV.com
• Flaunt Magazine Eric Dane feature
• Eric Dane Facebook application