Eric Dane was born on November 9, 1972, in San Francisco, California, where he grew up as the older of two brothers. His father, an architect and interior designer based in San Francisco, instilled a sense of creativity and design in his son. His mother, Leah (Cohn),a homemaker, nurtured his early years and provided a loving environment. Eric's ancestry is a rich tapestry of English, German, Finnish, Russian Jewish, and Austrian Jewish, and he celebrated his heritage with a Bar Mitzvah ceremony.
In his formative years, Eric excelled as an athlete in high school, where he also discovered his passion for acting. He began his stage career playing the role of Joe Keller in Arthur Miller's "All My Sons", a performance that solidified his desire to pursue a career in the performing arts.
Eric's professional journey began in Los Angeles, where he made his television debut in 1993 on the iconic show "The Wonder Years". Early in his career, he appeared in bit parts on popular TV series such as "Married... with Children", "Silk Stalkings", and "Roseanne". He also played medical doctors on multiple occasions, first as Dr. Cooper on "Gideon's Crossing" and later as Jason Dean on the hit show "Charmed".
From 2006 to 2012, Eric landed a recurring role as Dr. Mark Sloan, a handsome and skilled plastic surgeon, on the critically acclaimed show "Grey's Anatomy". He also starred as Tom Chandler on the action-packed series "The Last Ship" in 2014.
On the big screen, Eric made his leading role debut in the German-made feature "Open Water 2: Adrift" in 2006. He co-starred in the films "Marley & Me" and "Valentine's Day", and played the character of Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man, in "X-Men: The Last Stand" in 2006.
Eric Dane married actress Rebecca Gayheart on October 29, 2004, in Las Vegas, and the couple has two beautiful daughters together.
