“Grey’s Anatomy” Former student Eric Dane has revealed how he overcame tough times without resorting to drugs and alcohol after embracing sobriety.
During an interview with Fox News Digital, the 58-year-old actor, who stars in the new film “One Fast Move,” reflected on his approach to dealing with hardships after his struggle with addiction.
“Sometimes you just have to be patient and understand that this too shall pass,” Dane said. “I never thought that life – no matter what your circumstances – would ever be easy.”
Eric Dane has revealed how he got through the “bad times” without resorting to drugs and alcohol after staying sober. (Getty Images)
He added, “So I think that understanding that not everything is easy has definitely prepared me to put myself in the best position to face some tough times.”
“They come fast and furious, and sometimes all you can do is be patient and know that it will pass,” Dan said. “And I don’t want to be anymore. Use substances And to deal with alcohol and things of that nature, whether they’re good or bad.”
“It’s not a celebration, and it’s not something I pick up when … things aren’t going well. And this is the only way to get through it.”
WATCH: ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ alum Eric Dane reveals how he overcame ‘down time’ after sobering up
In an appearance on Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast in June, Dane revealed the real reason behind his departure from “Grey’s Anatomy.” The actor played popular plastic surgeon Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan on the hit ABC series.
Speaking with Shepard, Dane said when he booked the series Patrick Dempsey and Ellen PompeoHe had been sober for “three or four years.”
“So I was smart about myself and I knew what was reality and what wasn’t,” he explained. “And I was able to differentiate between the two. And I was able to understand what that was, put it in its place, enjoy it, dip into it from time to time and come back to it.”
Dane was first introduced as Dr. Mark Sloan in Season 2 of “Grey’s Anatomy.” In Season 3, he became a series regular cast member. (Bob Damico/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
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Dane joined the show as a regular in the third season, while in the second season his character gained considerable attention for a towel scene.
“I think overall I didn’t handle it very well,” he said. “Because if you look at the whole eight years that I spent on ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ I was drunk more times than I was sober. And that’s when things started going in the wrong direction for me.”
Dane said to Shepard he became sick again At some point during his tenure on the show, he was trying to live up to the expectations of playing such an iconic and beloved character on television.
“It was very overwhelming, and I think I just wanted to pretend that it wasn’t that way and that I was comfortable with it. Act like you’ve been through that, but you haven’t been through that.” He said of fame, “It’s very hard to digest.”
His character was killed off in the second episode of season nine, which aired in October 2012. In 2013, Dane told Entertainment Weekly His departure, he said, is giving him the opportunity to explore other avenues.
However, Dane told Shepard that he had actually been “fired” from the show.
The actor created a stir when he was seen wearing just a towel. (Vivian Zink/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
“I didn’t leave so much as I think I was let go. I was struggling. They didn’t let me go for that reason, although it certainly didn’t help,” said Dane, who went into rehab in 2011 for an addiction to painkillers.
“I started to understand that most of these actors who spend a lot of time on a show become very expensive to the network. And the network knows the show is going to do what it’s going to do no matter who they put on it. As long as they have their ‘Grey’s,’ they’re fine.”
“I wasn’t the same person they hired, so I understood when I was let go. And (the producers) Shonda (Rhimes) She was really wonderful. 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 he was “not the person” that Rhimes and the show’s producers hired.
WATCH: ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ alum Eric Dane pleads not guilty for leaving show while battling addiction
“I was going through some personal issues, and they had an external effect on me,” the “X-Men: The Last Stand” actor admitted.
“And they influenced the way I did my job,” he added. “And so, that’s what I meant (by saying) that I was not the same person that they hired.”
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star Eric Dane enters rehab to overcome painkiller addiction
“I don’t blame them for letting me go,” Dane said. “I get it. I said, ‘OK, I understand that. That makes sense to me. No offense. Thank you for the nine, eight, nine beautiful years you had with you guys. And thank you for tolerating some of my bullshit sometimes. And thank you for appreciating my contributions to that show.'”
“I have nothing but love for all those people. I was just with (former ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ co-star) Justin Chambers yesterday.”
Dan struggled to keep his composure while filming the show. (Gayle Adler/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
In 2021, Dane reprised his role for the first time in nine years when he appeared in a dream sequence in an episode of the show’s 17th season.
During a recent interview with People magazine, Dane admitted he has only watched “a few episodes” of “Grey’s Anatomy” since his departure, while his daughters have “watched every episode.” The actor has daughters Beatrice, 14, and Georgia, 12, with his ex-wife Rebecca Gayheart.
Speaking with Fox News Digital, Dan revealed how Beatrice and Georgia reacted to his “McSteamy” nickname.
“They’re old enough now to understand what the context is, and they’re old enough now to think that it’s kind of mean or biased,” he said.
“He says, ‘Wow, Dad,’ Dane recalls. ‘Couldn’t it be any better?’ I say, ‘Honey, that’s it. It works, babe.’ At the time, it worked and it worked for a very long time.”
Dane is now starring in the new action movie “One Fast Move” KJ Apa, Maya Refico, Edward James Olmos and Austin North. Directed and written by Kelly Blatz, the film follows “a young man (Apa) (who) searches for his estranged father (Dane) in order to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional motorcycle racer,” according to the plot synopsis.
Dannon and KJ Apa star in the new action film “One Fast Move.” (Amazon Prime Video)
“With the help of his girlfriend and a motorcycle shop owner, he begins to break down the walls his father’s absence has built up.”
During his interview with Fox News Digital, Dane revealed how he trained to play a professional motorcycle racer in “One Fast Move.”
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“I knew how to ride a bike before this picture was taken,” he said. “I’ve never ridden a bike on a track, which was fun. But I was surprised to learn that KJ had never ridden a motorcycle before this picture was taken.”
“And he was actually very, very skilled at that thing. He was very good at riding motorcycles.”
Even though Dane had some prior motorcycle riding experience, he told Fox News Digital that he didn’t give his co-star any tips.
“I’m not good enough to give advice to anybody,” he said. “Be careful. Take it easy. Go slowly, young duck.”
WATCH: Eric Dane on his new action film ‘One Fast Move’: ‘It’s a beautiful story’
The California native also reflected on the message he hopes viewers will take away from it. Movie.
“It’s interesting,” Dane said. “It’s not a stereotypical feel-good movie, but I think by the end of the movie, you walk away with the feeling that some real healing took place between two somewhat lost and… somewhat misguided, misdirected people who were largely misunderstood.”
He added, “They find each other, and they go through whatever they have to go through so that they can fix their circumstances, and at the end they realize that they are truly free.”
The actor plays the estranged father of Apa’s character, who dreams of becoming a professional motorcycle racer. (Amazon Prime Video)
“They find each other, fix each other, and then they realize they don’t need each other. You know what I mean?” Dan added.
“It’s a beautiful story.”
“One Fast Move” hits theaters Aug. 8.
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Fox News Digital’s Caroline Thayer contributed to this report.
