Eric Dane’s posthumous memoir has revealed an inside look at the life of the late actor.
The Grey’s Anatomy star, who announced his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis diagnosis in April 2025, wrote his memoir in the months before his February 2026 death aged 53.
Titled Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments, the posthumous release features Dane’s reflections on his rise to fame, his love for his two daughters, his struggles with substance abuse, and his life after being diagnosed with ALS.
Dane — who played Dr. Mark Sloan on ABC’s medical drama from 2006 to 2012 — said that series creator Shonda Rhimes told him at the end of season eight that he would not be returning, according to an excerpt obtained by People.
“My Grey’s Anatomy ending does come, but not because of my addiction, although it’s safe to say my addiction didn’t help,” said Dane, who previously disclosed that he went to rehab five times during his run on the show.
“The reason comes down to money,” he continued. “Despite Mark Sloan’s popularity, I have become too expensive. I have become expendable.”
Dane also wrote that he had been ready to part with his character in the end, saying, “But mentally, I’m on my way out.”
“I love Mark Sloan, but I need to quit him,” he wrote. “I feel as if I’ve squeezed every ounce of life out of that character, have investigated and mined every nuance of his being. I’ve spent eight years living in his skin, and my time has come. I’ve had enough. But I don’t know how to get off that train.”
Shondaland did not return The Independent’s request for comment on the excerpt.
The memoir will be published November 3 by Maria Shriver’s Penguin Random House imprint, called The Open Field.
The audiobook of the memoir will be narrated by actor Jacob Elordi, who played Dane’s son on Euphoria.
Dane said in a statement about the book last December: “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.”
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