Euphoria star opens up about life with ALS in upcoming memoir
The actor will reflect on pivotal experiences, ranging from his days on Grey's Anatomy to when he received his ALS diagnosis
Eric Dane, the actor known for his roles in Grey's Anatomy and Euphoria, is set to release a memoir next year, detailing his life and journey following a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Titled Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments, the book will be published by Maria Shriver's The Open Field, an imprint of Penguin Random House. The Open Field has indicated that Dane will reflect on pivotal experiences, ranging from his initial days on the set ofGrey's Anatomy to the arrival of his two daughters and the profound moment he received his ALS diagnosis.
In a statement released by The Open Field on Monday, the 53-year-old actor explained his motivation: “I wake up every morning, and I’m immediately reminded that this is real — this illness, this challenge and that’s exactly why I’m writing this book. I want to capture the moments that shaped me — the beautiful days, the hard ones, the ones I never took for granted — so that if nothing else, people who read it will remember what it means to live with heart. If sharing this helps someone find meaning in their own days, then my story is worth telling.”
ALS is a progressive disease that gradually destroys the nerve cells and connections needed to walk, talk, speak and breathe. Most patients die within three to five years of a diagnosis. When Dane announced his diagnosis in April, he said he would be returning to Euphoria, which was scheduled to begin production for its third season around the same time.
“Eric wants to give his daughters and family something to be proud of, and this book will not only make them proud,” Shriver said in a statement, “but it will also help people understand what ALS is and isn’t, what happens to someone when they get it, and how we can all be compassionate partners to people suffering with neurological conditions such as this.”