Eric Dane misses scheduled appearance at 2025 Emmys amid ALS diagnosis

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star had been set to celebrate the show’s 20th anniversary at the ceremony

Actor Eric Dane did not attend the 2025 Emmy Awards, despite being scheduled to present a trophy at the ceremony.

The Grey’s Anatomy star, 52, revealed back in April that he had been diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a neurodegenerative disease that impacts nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, affecting how they control the muscles.

ALS is the most common form of motor neuron disease, and there is currently no cure.

Dane was previously set to appear alongside Jesse Williams, his former co-star in the long-running medical drama, to celebrate the show’s 20th anniversary.

Williams presented the award for Drama Series Directing alone, handing out the trophy to Adam Randall for his work on Apple TV+’s spy drama Slow Horses.

The scheduled appearance was set to mark the Euphoria star’s first awards show since making his diagnosis public earlier this year.

Dane revealed his ALS diagnosis earlier this year (Getty Images for Prime Video)

The Independent has contacted representatives for Dane for further comment.

“I have been diagnosed with ALS,” Dane told People magazine. “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.”

The actor added that he was feeling “fortunate” to be “able to continue working”, and said that he was “looking forward to returning to [the] set of Euphoria” to film the show’s long-awaited third season.

Dane plays Cal Jacobs, the father of Jacob Elordi’s Nate, on the controversial high school drama.

Jesse Williams ended up presenting alone (Getty Images)

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight ahead of the Emmys ceremony, Williams spoke of his “really wonderful” experience working alongside Dane on Grey’s Anatomy, and added: “We have to be careful as men to still take care of ourselves, and he’s got a perfect balance going. That’s my guy.”

In June, Dane revealed that he has no plans to quit acting following his diagnosis, despite the fact that his right arm has “completely stopped working”.

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“It keeps me sharp,” he said of his work. “It keeps me moving forward, which is super important right now.”

“I feel great when I'm at work. Of course, there have been some sort of setbacks, but I feel pretty good. My spirit is always pretty buoyant, so at the end of the day, that's all that matters.”