Euphoria made sure to pay tribute to its late cast member Eric Dane. The late 53-year-old died in February 2026, less than a year after revealing his ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) diagnosis. As season 3 of the hit HBO series plays out, viewers are watching the final scenes that Eric worked on toward the end of his life, including Nate and Cassie’s wedding sequence. So, when exactly did he film all of his scenes?
Here’s the timeline between Eric’s ALS diagnosis, his work on Euphoria‘s third season and his heartbreaking death.
When Was Eric Dane Diagnosed With ALS?
Eric announced his ALS diagnosis in April 2025, one year before season 3 of Euphoria premiered.
What Is ALS?
ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. It is a rare degenerative illness that causes paralysis of the muscles, which gradually weakens a patient’s ability to speak, eat, walk and even breathe on their own. Those living with the condition usually start to experience twitching in a limb, then slurred speech.
When Did Eric Dane Film His Euphoria Season 3 Scenes?
Since principal photography commenced for season 3 in February 2025, Eric likely shot his scenes between then and the end of 2025 when they wrapped production.
After revealing his ALS diagnosis, the Grey’s Anatomy alum said it would “take 20 to 30 days to shoot an episode of Euphoria. And that is an absolute luxury.”
“When I shot Bad Boys, we didn’t shoot more than three pages a day; that was a big day if we shot three pages,” he told Variety in June 2025. “And that pace, for an artist, is a lot more ideal. I learned very early what the rhythm was on an eight- to 10-day shoot to complete an episode. It comes naturally to me, but I have to tell you, it’s fucking exhausting sometimes.”
During his interview, the actor pointed out that he would “try to make different choices” while playing his character, Cal Jacobs. He’d find “many moments” to expand his character.
“There’s many moments of discovery that you don’t necessarily get when you’re shooting eight days to complete an episode — when there’s not a lot of takes, so there’s not a lot of moments for character-building,” he explained.
When Did Eric Dane Die?
Eric unfortunately died on February 19, 2026. Two months later, season 3 of Euphoria premiered.
