Eric Dane Reveals Why He Was ‘Let Go’ From Grey’s Anatomy

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Eric Dane has opened up about his exit as Dr. McSteamy, revealing that his departure was less of a choice and more of a dismissal from the role of Dr. Mark Sloan amid his battle with addiction.

Despite being sober for about four years prior to his 2006 casting, Dane confessed in a recent interview that his struggles with substance abuse lasted longer than his sobriety during his tenure on the ABC medical drama.

“My addiction issues didn’t directly lead to my dismissal, but they certainly didn’t help,” he said. As Dane observed, actors

who remain on a show for an extended period can become quite costly for the network.

He acknowledged that he had changed from the person they originally hired, which he understood contributed to his release. Shonda Rhimes, he noted, was incredibly supportive both in public and in private.

Dane concluded by saying, “I was probably fired. It wasn’t an explicit ‘You’re fired,’ but more of a ‘You’re not coming back.'”

He then posed a question about the audience’s favorite Shondaland series.