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At very long last, Euphoria is back, with season three finally returning to our screens after a four-year wait. Season two left us on a series of explosive cliffhangers, and in the meantime, the cast have stayed firmly booked and busy, landing major roles in projects like Dune, The Drama, The Housemaid and Frankenstein.
As excited as we are to dive into season three, there’s also an emotional weight to this return. The opening episode is expected to be especially poignant as we see Eric Dane reprise his role as Cal Jacobs. Dane passed away on February 16th 2026, following a rapid battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and this season will mark his final onscreen appearance in the series. Actor Angus Cloud also passed away following his appearance in season 2.
Best known for playing plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Sloan — aka “McSteamy” — on Grey’s Anatomy, Dane has also appeared in Burlesque, The Last Ship and Charmed.
Here’s everything we know about Eric Dane’s involvement in Euphoria season three, including how the production adapted to his diagnosis.
We're not joking, b*tch.
Did Eric Dane film Euphoria season 3 with ALS?
When the Grey’s Anatomy alum revealed his ALS diagnosis exclusively to PEOPLE in April 2025, he also confirmed his intention to return for Euphoria’s third season. “I have been diagnosed with ALS,” he shared at the time. “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.”
“I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to the set of Euphoria next week,” he added.
Dane entered filming fully aware of his diagnosis and already experiencing symptoms. ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells, leading to muscle weakness, twitching and cramping. It often begins in the hands, feet or limbs, with early signs including tripping, dropping objects or slurred speech, before progressing to impact mobility, swallowing and, eventually, breathing.
How did Eric Dane film Euphoria with his ALS?
Sam Levinson, the show’s creator, opened up about working with Eric Dane during this time in a recent interview with Extra.
“Eric called me before we started shooting and told me that he had been diagnosed with ALS,” Levinson recalled. “We had a lot of conversations about just life and what that meant. I loved him very deeply, and I said, ‘Eric, whatever shape you show up in, we’re gonna make it work. I have faith that it’s all gonna work.’”
To help incorporate Dane’s symptoms into the show, Levinson subtly adapted aspects of his character.
“He showed up and I could tell he had a slight slur in his voice and he told me that,” Levinson added. “I said, ‘Don’t worry. We’ll just put, like, five beer bottles in front of you and you’ve been drinking all night.’ He was like, ‘Perfect, perfect.’ And his character, it was such a gift.”
Cloud died in 2023 at 25.
Fans got their first glimpse of Dane in the Euphoria season three trailer, released on 30 March, which teased a tense reunion between Cal Jacobs and Jules, played by Hunter Schafer, following their season one encounter.
"Remember me?" Jules asks in the clip. "How could I forget?" Cal replies.
The scenes were filmed during Nate and Cassie’s wedding, which Levinson described as a particularly hectic shoot.
“We’ve got 28 cast members on set, and he just showed up every day with such grace and dignity,” Levinson said. “He was a great human being.”
Sharon Stone, who appears in Euphoria season three in a guest role, also shared just how much the show meant to Eric Dane, long before his diagnosis.
"Eric and I have been friends for a long time. A long time. And I actually was like his support staff when he was trying to get the job on Euphoria," she told Entertainment Tonight in August. "So he would come over to my house and bring me gluten-free cookies, and we'd sit and discuss it because he really wanted that job."
She added that, in hindsight, his casting feels even more significant, saying, “It means the world to me that he got that job in time."
Euphoria season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, NOW and Sky Atlantic.
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