The actor died on Thursday 19/2
Shortly before he passed away, he gave a deeply personal and highly moving interview presented by Netflix, as part of the series “Famous Last Words”, a segment dedicated to important figures of culture, whose last confessions are shown posthumously, based on pre-agreed terms.
The actor, best known as Mark Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy, addressed his two daughters with ex-wife Rebecca Gayheart on camera.
In words full of tenderness, she spoke of the moments they shared as a family, describing their memories from the beaches of Santa Monica to Hawaii and Mexico as “heaven.”
The four courses
In his message, Eric Dane wanted to convey four life lessons he learned through his illness.
First lesson: Live in the present. “Live now. Right now. In the present. It’s hard, but I learned to do it. For years I wandered mentally, lost in thought for long periods, mired in sorrow, shame, and doubt. I was replaying decisions in my head, questioning myself. “I shouldn’t have done this. I should never have done that.” End. Out of pure survival instinct I was forced to stay in the present. And I don’t want to be anywhere else. The past contains regrets. The future remains unknown. So you must live now. The present is all you have. Appreciate it. Love every moment.”
Second lesson: Fall in love. “Not necessarily a human, though I suggest that too. But fall in love with something. Find your passion, your joy. Find what makes you want to get up in the morning, what motivates you all day. I fell in love for the first time when I was about your age. I fell in love with acting. That love ultimately got me through my darkest hours, darkest days, darkest year. I still love my job, I look forward to it, I want to stand in front of a camera and play my part. My work doesn’t define me, but it excites me. Find something that excites you. Find your path, your purpose, your dream. And then chase it. Pursue it with all your soul.”
Third lesson: “Choose your friends carefully and value meaningful friendships”
Fourth lesson: “Fight with all your being and with dignity. When faced with challenges, health issues or anything else, fight. Never give up. Fight till your last breath. This disease is slowly taking over my body, but it will never take over my spirit.”
“I stumbled a few times, but I tried”
At the end of the interview, Dane addresses both of his daughters, Billie and Georgia, directly on camera, saying;
“These words are for you. I tried. I stumbled a few times, but I tried. All in all we had a great time, didn’t we? I remember all the times we were at the beach, the two of you, me and mom – in Santa Monica, in Hawaii, in Mexico. I still see you playing for hours in the ocean, my “water babies”. Those days—pun intended—were heaven. I want to tell you four things I’ve learned from this illness and I hope you won’t just listen to me. I hope you will listen to me.”
“Billie and Georgia, you are my heart. You are everything to me. Good night. i love you These are my last words,” Dane says at the close of the episode.
