Eric Dane’s 4 Life Lessons for His Daughters in Final Interview Before His Death
In the final interview before his death, Eric Dane addressed his two daughters directly. The actor shared two daughters, Billie and Georgia, with Rebecca Gayheart. In an interview released posthumously, Dane offered his daughters advice.
Eric Dane offered four life lessons for his daughter
Dane died ten months after announcing his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Ahead of his death, he took part in an interview with Netflix’s Famous Last Words. The series releases interviews with notable figures after their deaths. At the end of his interview, Dane addressed his daughters.
“Billie and Georgia, these words are for you,” he said. “I tried. I stumbled sometimes, but I tried. Overall, we had a blast, didn’t we?”
He said he had four final lessons he wanted to give them.
“First, live now, right now in the present. It’s hard, but I learned to do that. For years, I would wander off mentally, lost in my head for long chunks of time, wallowing in worry and self-pity, shame and doubt,” he said, adding, “I replayed decisions, second-guessed myself. ‘I shouldn’t have done this. I never should’ve done that.’ No more.”
He encouraged them to live in the present and “cherish every moment.”
“Second, fall in love. Not necessarily with a person, although I do recommend that as well. But fall in love with something,” he said. “Find your passion, your joy. Find the thing that makes you wanna get up in the morning.”
He noted that he fell in love with acting, and his passion carried him through his darkest moments. Dane told his daughters to find something they felt passionate about and “really go for it.”
He also told them to choose their friends wisely, taking a moment to highlight all that his own friends had done for him since his diagnosis.
“Find your people and allow them to find you, and then give yourselves to them,” he said. “The best of them will give back to you.”
Lastly, he told them to be resilient. He believed this was his “superpower” in life.
“Finally, fight with every ounce of your being and with dignity. When you face challenges, health or otherwise, fight,” he said. “Never give up. Fight until your last breath. This disease is slowly taking my body, but it will never take my spirit.”
Eric Dane also said he hoped he imparted valuable life lessons to his daughters
As he concluded his message, Dane told his daughters that he hoped his illness would teach them how to face difficult situations.
“I hope I’ve demonstrated that you can face anything. You can face the end of your days. You can face hell with dignity. Fight girls, and hold your heads high,” he said. “Billie and Georgia, you are my heart. You are my everything. Good night. I love you. Those are my last words.”
Dane died on Feb. 19.
The actor died of ALS
After Dane’s diagnosis, he worked to raise awareness about ALS. The neurodegenerative causes loss of muscle control and has no cure. It is fatal, and most with the disease die within two to five years from symptom onset.
Dane joined the board of directors of the nonprofit Target ALS and helped it surpass its campaign to raise $500,000. He also launched the “Push for Progress” campaign with the organization I AM ALS. It aims to gain over $1 billion in federal funding to research the disease.
“I’m trying to save my life,” he told Time, “and if my actions can move the needle forward for myself and countless others, I’m satisfied.”
