Eric Dane is channeling his personal hardships into his art. The actor portrayed firefighter Matthew Rimati, who is battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as ALS on the series Brilliant Minds on November 24. Eric has a personal connection to his new character because he too has ALS.
© Getty ImagesALS is a neurodegenerative disease that negatively affects a person's nerve cells that are located in the spinal cord and brain, and it causes the progressive degeneration of the motor neurons, per the ALS Association. When the number of motor neurons decreases, a person begins to lose their muscle's ability to eat, move, speak or breathe.
© FilmMagicEric was diagnosed with ALS on April 10, 2025, and he made the health update public per People. He transparently revealed: "I have been diagnosed with ALS. I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter. I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to [the] set of Euphoria next week. I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time."
During his Good Morning America interview in June 2025, he vulnerably opened up about the struggles he's been facing day-to-day. He said: "I wake up every day, and I'm immediately reminded that this is happening. It's not a dream." He explained: "I have one functioning arm. My dominant side. My left side is functioning, my right side has completely stopped working. I feel like maybe a couple, few more months, and I won't have my left hand either. It's sobering.”
© WireImageEric recalled a dangerous wake-up call about ALS, which caused the actor to feel "heartbroken" over the diagnosis. He shared: "When I jumped in the ocean that day and realized I couldn't swim [or] generate enough power to get myself back to the boat, I thought, 'Oh, God.' And then I realized in that moment, I'm not safe in the water anymore." Despite the everyday challenges that he faces, he chooses to remain hopeful about his future and continues his fight. He expressed: "I don't think this is the end of my story. I don't feel like this is the end of me."
© FilmMagicIn a TikTok video from September, Eric told California congressman Eric Swalwell that his main motivation to keep going are his daughters Billie Beatrice, 15, and Georgia Geraldine, 13. He met up with the politician to advocate for further funding against the disease. The Euphoria actor shared: "I wanna ring every bell. I have two daughters at home. I wanna see them graduate college, get married, maybe have grandkids. I wanna be there for all that. So, I'm gonna fight until the last breath on this one."
