McKidd reflects on working with Dane and reveals the emotional season 22 finale montage was designed to honor his former costar
Warning: This story contains spoilers from the season 22 finale of Grey’s Anatomy.
NEED TO KNOW
- Kevin McKidd says Grey’s Anatomy’s season 22 finale paid a “very intentional” tribute to late star Eric Dane
- McKidd recalls Dane having “one of the funniest, driest senses of humor” and says the actor “will always be part of the Grey’s family”
- The actor also reflected on being terrified during his first day on set alongside Dane, Patrick Dempsey and Sandra Oh
The season 22 finale of Grey’s Anatomy featured several emotional callbacks to the show’s past, including a touching tribute to late star Eric Dane, who died at the age of 53 in February.
While speaking exclusively with PEOPLE, Kevin McKidd revealed the finale montage on May 7 was specifically designed to honor Dane’s legacy on the series.
“Yeah, it was very intentional we did that,” McKidd says of the tribute, which featured clips of Dane’s beloved Dr. Mark Sloan during the episode’s closing moments.
McKidd, who exits the series this season after portraying Dr. Owen Hunt since 2008, reflected warmly on working alongside Dane during their years together at Grey Sloan Memorial.
Credit: Bob D’Amico/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
He remembers his first day at the ABC drama, and admits that he was initially intimidated stepping onto such a massive series.
“I met Mark Sloan [Dane] and Derek Shepherd [Patrick Dempsey] at the elevators with Richard Webber [James Pickens Jr.],” he says. “I was terrified — it was such a huge show.”
But he says they "were so welcoming to me." Adding, "These were two sort of giants in the TV world at that time, and I’m this new guy showing up on the show — the Scottish theater actor.”
McKidd recalls Dempsey helping introduce him to Dane. “I think Patrick liked me, so he was very welcoming to me,” McKidd says. “I remember he introduced me to Eric and basically vouched for me.”
As for Dane, McKidd says the actor’s humor quickly stood out. “Eric was really funny,” he recalls. “He had one of the funniest, driest senses of humor that I’d ever come across.”
“He had that amazing ability with that character to make everything kind of hilarious,” McKidd continues. “He’s missed. He will always be part of the Grey’s family.”
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Following Dane’s death in February, McKidd paid tribute to his former costar on Instagram, writing, “Rest in peace, buddy.”
Credit: Eric McCandless/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
Dane died from respiratory failure, according to a death certificate obtained by PEOPLE. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was listed as an underlying cause of death.
The actor had publicly revealed nearly one year earlier that he had been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative illness that affects nerve cells and muscle function.
Dane is survived by wife Rebecca Gayheart and their two daughters, Billie Beatrice, 16, and Georgia Geraldine, 14.
McKidd and Dane worked together on Grey’s Anatomy for four seasons after McKidd joined the cast in season 5. Dane portrayed Dr. Mark Sloan from 2006 to 2012 before briefly reprising the role during the show’s 2021 beach reunion storyline in season 17.
For McKidd, seeing Dane included in the finale montage brought both sadness and gratitude.
“To see him in those montages was always a joy,” he says.
All seasons of Grey's Anatomy are available to stream on Hulu.
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