Eric Dane Shared a Message for His Daughters in His Final Interview Before His Death

Eric Dane shared a powerful message for his two daughters in the final interview before his death on Thursday at the age of 53.

The Grey’s Anatomy star sat down with Brad Falchuk for the Netflix special Famous Last Words: Eric Dane, which was set to be released after his death, in which he offered four life lessons to daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14.

After reflecting on his journey with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Dane was left with time to speak to his daughters directly, which he used to share “four things that I’ve learned from this disease” that he hoped they would take to heart.

Dane began by encouraging his daughters to live “right now in the present.”

“For years, I’d wander off mentally, lost in my head for a long time, wallowing and worrying in self pity, shame and doubt and replay decisions, second-guess myself,” he recalled, adding, “The past contains regrets. The future remains unknown. So you have to live now. The present is all you have. Treasure it, cherish every moment.”

Dane also encouraged his daughters to “fall in love,” not necessarily in a romantic sense, but with a “passion” or “joy,” something “that makes you want to get up in the morning.”

“I fell in love with acting. That love eventually got me through my darkest hours, my darkest days, my darkest years. I still love my work. I still look forward to it,” he recalled of his own teenage years, expressing his hope that his girls are able to similarly find their own “purpose” and then “really go for it.”

Dane also urged his daughters to be careful in finding friends who will be by their sides throughout the ups and downs of life. “I can’t do the little things I used to do. I can’t drive around town and go to the gym and get coffee. Now I’ve learned to embrace alternatives. My friends come to me. We eat together, watch a game, listen to music. They don’t do anything special. They just show up,” he shared of how his own friendships have gotten him through his diagnosis.

Finally, Dane hoped that his daughters could channel his resilience when facing their own life challenges. “Fight with every ounce of your being and with dignity. When you face challenges, health or otherwise, fight. Never give up. Fight until your last breath,” he said, praising his daughters as “strong and resilient.”

“When something unexpected hits you — and it will, because that’s life — fight and face it with honesty, integrity and grace, even if it feels or seems surmountable,” he encouraged them. “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.”