Eric Dane arrived at Amazon MGM’s premiere of “Countdown” in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The evening marked the actor’s first red carpet appearance since publicly disclosing that he had been diagnosed with ALS.
“I feel good,” Dane said, speaking with Variety. “It’s nice to be here with everybody and see the hours and hours of work that we put into this come alive on screen.”
Dane joined his “Countdown” co-stars Jensen Ackles, Jessica Camacho, Elliot Knight, Violett Beane and Uli Latukefu, along with series creator and executive producer Derek Haas, for the premiere at the Harmony Gold Theater. But the actor is also preparing for HBO’s “Euphoria,” returning for the drama series’ long-awaited third season. While Dane indicated that he hasn’t shot any scenes yet, he affirmed that production is underway.
“You’re going to get more of the same, which I think for that show is a good thing,” Dane said about the coming episodes. “We’re moving right along. I don’t know exactly what it is I’m doing, per se, but I trust Marcmalkin Sam Levinson with every fiber of my being.”
As for other projects on the horizon, Dane said he was determined to keep acting even with his diagnosis: “It always feels great to be on a set. It’s great to be employed. I love what I give. I’m going to keep doing it.”
The evening marked Dane’s first public outing since the broadcast of his emotional “Good Morning America” interview with Diane Sawyer in which he revealed he now only has “one functioning arm.”
“My left side is functioning, my right side has completely stopped working,” he said, noting that his left arm has been getting weaker as well. “I feel like maybe a couple more months and I won’t have my left hand either. It’s sobering.”
The 52-year-old “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria” star was diagnosed in April after nine months of testing. He first started having symptoms a year and a half ago when he began to experience weakness in his right hand.
ALS is a fatal, progressive degenerative disease that breaks down the nerves in the body, weakening muscles and causing eventual paralysis, impacting patients’ ability to breathe, speak and move. There is no known cure.
Dane has affirmed that he wants to continue working: “I am ready and willing to do just about anything, but I have limitations that I understand will preclude me from playing certain roles,” the actor said. “I’m working on ‘Euphoria.’ I finished ‘Countdown.’ As far as that goes, I’m pretty capable.”
The first three episodes of “Countdown” premiere on Prime Video on June 25. New episodes will follow weekly ahead of the season finale on Sept. 3.
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