More than just McSteamy: Eric Dane was masterful in Grey’s Anatomy — the real man of everyone’s dreams

Dane was initially only contracted to appear in one episode of series. He starred in a further 138, revolutionising the show along the way

Eric Dane in Grey's Anatomy (ABC/RANDY HOLMES) /TYNE DALY, ERIC DANE

Eric Dane, one of the most handsome men DNA has ever fabricated, has died at 53, just a year after announcing his ALS diagnosis. We just lost Dawson Leery, and now this. It’s a tough time to be a millennial.

It goes without saying: Dane was very good looking. Even in the 2000s, which treated us to a glut of ridiculously handsome TV stars (Chad Michael Murray, Jared Padalecki, Milo Ventimiglia), he was breathtaking. The voice. The eyes. The soul patch. Oof.

But here’s the thing: that was the least interesting thing about him. Eric Dane was a great actor, and that was never more obvious than in his absolute triumph over the other guy in Grey’s Anatomy.

Dane’s most iconic character, plastic surgeon Mark Sloan – AKA McSteamy, AKA McSleazy, AKA Man Candy – arrived at Seattle Grace hospital in season two.

At that point, the show orbited around Dr Derek Shepherd: McDreamy, played by Patrick Dempsey, who had been cast as a heart-throb but was in reality a cry-baby whose story arc was to whine about being loved by two stunning women at the same time for approximately 900 seasons.

The problem is, it was a flawed premise. Dempsey, though better looking than me or you, was simply not handsome enough to get away with being that awful.

Dane was initially only contracted to appear in one episode. His job was to come in, flirt with one of McDreamy’s girlfriends (the young one), then get punched in the face. But 45-ish minutes were all he needed to convince producers the world deserved better than Derek Shepherd. Such was his magnetism/jawline/acting ability that McSteamy went on to appear in a further 138 episodes.

Where Dempsey was given only one mode as Shepherd (too dour to live), Dane quickly exhibited real acting chops. He had perfect comic timing. He was a convincing crier. He had huge, manly hands he used to hold surgical instruments and women’s collarbones and hips and faces.

But the acting, too.

Eric Dane poses backstage at the TNT and TBS Network 2014 Upfront Presentations at Madison Square Garden, May 14, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

For those lucky enough not to have “the man only you can change” exes, Mark Sloan may have seemed one dimensional. His remit was, effectively, womaniser with a square jaw. But as the seasons went on and McDreamy became more like a very sad Ken doll, Eric Dane transformed his one-time guest spot into a starring role. Not the wet, floppy-haired leading man we had been tricked into loving, but damaged goods with a dream. A man who could wield a scalpel and your heart. A man who could be convinced to settle down, just as soon as he met you. A man who wanted to be a better guy.

Scene-stealing Dane revolutionised the show. What had been Sad Overachievers Learn To Socialise became a story about how ridiculously sexy people can also be capable of change.

McDreamy repeated the same two mistakes ad infinitum. It’s too boring to even type about. But McSteamy learned and evolved. He stepped up to support his baby mamas. He was profoundly loyal to his friends. He worked on becoming a better doctor.

And he loved. Boy, did he. His on-off romance with intern Lexie holds up against even the most timeless of soulmates (Romeo and Juliet, Seth and Summer, Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi).

And it was genuinely devastating to lose him.

Sandra Oh, Eric Dane and Ellen Pompeo in Grey's Anatomy. (ABC/KAREN NEAL)

Spoiler alert: in this show, everyone dies except Meredith Grey, who is immortal. McSteamy’s death frequently ranks among the saddest moments in Grey’s history, which is not a bad effort given that list also includes Katherine Heigl in a ballgown weeping over Denny “Snow Patrol” Duquette’s lifeless body.

In season 8, Lexie and Sloan (“Slexie”) seemed like they were finally going to make a real go of things, despite her being so young he once called her a “foetus”. But Shonda Rhimes giveth and she taketh away, and when both characters boarded the same plane, viewers knew what was coming (me, watching Eric Dane).

I’m making jokes only because the reality is too sad. Lexie was killed on impact. Mark Sloan – reformed plastic surgeon, devoted dad, ally and friend – died later, of a broken heart (and also actual injuries). It was Artax levels of awful. The era of McSteamy ended the way it began: showing us that gorgeous men sometimes have other skills too.

As an actor, Dane contributed a great deal: Charmed. Euphoria. The Last Ship. He had a leaked sex tape. He struggled with depression. He raised awareness of ALS. He was charming and troubled and brave.

But I will always remember him as the man so great an actor that we occasionally forgot how attractive he was.