Eric Dane vows ALS will not be 'the end' for him

Eric Dane doesn't feel his ALS diagnosis means "the end".

The 52-year-old actor announced in April that he is battling the incurable degenerative condition - which is formally known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and impacts the nervous system and causes muscle paralysis - but he is trying to be optimistic, even though there is no escaping the reality of his health issues.

In a teaser clip for an interview with Diane Sawyer which will air on Good Morning America on Monday (16.06.25), he said: “I wake up every day and I’m immediately reminded that this is happening. It’s not a dream.”

At another point in the brief footage, he added: “I don’t think this is the end of my story. I don’t feel like this is the end of me."

At the end of the trailer, Diane asked Eric who his first call was after he received his diagnosis, causing him to grow tearful and bow his head, with the clip stopping before his answer.

The former Grey's Anatomy star - who has Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13, with wife Rebecca Gayheart - has continued to work on Euphoria since his diagnosis.

Announcing the news in April, Eric told People magazine: "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 set of 'Euphoria' next week. I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time."

ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease - after the baseball player of the same name who was diagnosed with the condition in 1939 - and is the most common form of motor neurone disease.

The average survival time after diagnosis is three years, but some ALS patients with a slow-progressing form of the disease can live much longer.

Physicist Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with the condition at the age of 21 and he lived until he was 76.

Eric and Rebecca married in Las Vegas in 2005 but the 53-year-old actress filed for divorce back in 2018. However, she filed paperwork in March to have the petition dismissed.

Shortly before Eric went public with his health crisis, Rebecca insisted they are closer than ever.

Speaking to E! News, she explained: "We are best of friends. We are really close.

"We are great co-parents. I think it’s important to not look at a relationship that ends as a failure. It's just a season. It wasn't a failure. It was a huge success.

"We were married for, I mean, we are still married, but together for 15 years, and we had two beautiful kids so I think that's a successful relationship, and that's how we look at it."