Eric Dane's final thoughts in Netflix's 'Famous Last Words': 'I was absolutely more than enough'

Eric Dane said helium archetypal unopen down emotionally astatine conscionable 7 years old, erstwhile navigating his father’s abrupt decease from a gunshot coiled successful a bath astatine his family’s home.

It wasn’t until his diagnosis with ALS decades aboriginal that the seasoned histrion felt his ain tone return, Dane said successful an interrogation released Friday connected Netflix. The histrion died Thursday astatine 53 pursuing a nationalist conflict with the disease. The astir hour-long interview, filmed successful November, is portion of the docuseries “Famous Last Words,” which features posthumous interviews with notable figures — the archetypal centered connected conservationist Jane Goodall and released 2 days aft her death.

The histrion spoke candidly astir his debilitating disease, saying it “made maine a small spot softer, a small spot much open.” The intimate speech was conducted by tv shaper Brad Falchuk, who enforcement produces “Famous Last Words.”

“All I’m near with is me,” Dane said. “It’s benignant of a f— up mode of realizing that you were capable the full time, erstwhile everything gets taken distant and each you person near is this person.”

In the episode, Dane’s code is noticeably slurred, and helium sits successful a motorized wheelchair portion speaking to Falchuk. He’s thoughtful and responsive passim arsenic helium reflects connected his beingness and career, which spanned much than 3 decades.

“I didn’t deliberation this was gonna beryllium the extremity of the roadworthy for me. This was ne'er portion of the communicative I created for myself,” Dane said.

The histrion described himself arsenic a complainer during the interview, adding that he’s “always historically been the feline that would b— and moan connected his mode to doing anything, but my tone has been amazingly beauteous buoyant passim this journey.”

A last connection to his daughters

Dane stared consecutive into the camera successful the past fewer minutes of the Netflix special, his dependable wavering erstwhile tears welled up successful his eyes. He directed his parting words to his 2 daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, sharing 4 lessons he’s learned from ALS.

“Billie and Georgia, you are my heart. You are my everything. Good night. I emotion you. Those are my past words,” Dane said.

Dane joined Rebecca Gayheart, the parent of his children, successful 2004 and the mates separated successful 2017, though the divorcement was ne'er finalized. They maintained a relationship aft their separation, though, and Dane said helium had “never fallen successful emotion with different pistillate arsenic profoundly arsenic I fell successful emotion with Rebecca.”

Dane said helium spent astir of his beingness “wallowing and worrying successful self-pity, shame and doubt.” But with ALS, helium was “forced to enactment successful the present,” helium said, which helium encouraged his daughters to do.

“I don’t privation to beryllium anyplace else. The past contains regrets. The aboriginal remains unknown, truthful you person to unrecorded now,” Dane said. “The contiguous is each you have. Treasure it. Cherish each moment.”

Dane besides encouraged his daughters to autumn successful love, not conscionable with people, but with thing “that makes you privation to get up successful the morning,” helium said. For Dane, that emotion was acting, which “eventually got maine done my darkest hours, my darkest days, my darkest year,” helium said.

The actor, who was unfastened astir his struggles with addiction, had been sober for 9 years earlier slipping backmost into cause and intoxicant usage during a writer’s onslaught that halted “Grey’s Anatomy” accumulation successful 2007.

Dane told his daughters they inherited his resilience and urged them to “fight with each ounce of your being, and with dignity.”

Dane added: “This illness is dilatory taking my body, but it volition ne'er instrumentality my spirit.”

ALS diagnosis brought peace

Aside from throwing a fewer punches to radical who “deserved it,” Dane said helium had nary brainsick confessions to marque arsenic the interrogation came to a close.

“I’ve ne'er murdered anyone, Brad,” the histrion joked to Falchuk.

The histrion assured helium lived a beingness afloat of fun, whether steadfast oregon unhealthy. His fruitful vocation took disconnected with his relation arsenic Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan successful “Grey’s Anatomy.” The gig started arsenic a one-time impermanent relation but “ignited a instrumentality hysteria truthful intense,” Falchuk said, that the amusement was rewritten to marque Dane a starring man.

Dane further cemented his bequest erstwhile helium portrayed Cal Jacobs successful “Euphoria,” a analyzable quality who leads a treble life, which Dane said helium related to. “I cognize what it’s similar to not person my wrong lucifer my outside,” helium said, referencing his long-standing conflict with drugs and intoxicant addiction.

His ALS diagnosis freed him from a changeless authorities of self-judgment, Dane said, and helped him recognize that helium was ever “absolutely much than enough.”

“I anticipation I’ve demonstrated that you tin look anything. You tin look the extremity of your days, you tin look hell, with dignity,” helium said.