Eric Dane guest stars as ALS patient on NBC drama ‘Brilliant Minds’
Actor diagnosed with ALS raising disease awareness on TV and in real life
From left: Zachary Quinto as Dr. Oliver Wolf and Eric Dane as a patient named Matthew in “Brilliant Minds." (By Pief Weyman/NBC)
In an upcoming episode of NBC’s TV show “Brilliant Minds,” actor Eric Dane will guest star as a character with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which he is also battling. ALS causes muscle weakness, which leads to other symptoms, such as trouble speaking, swallowing, and breathing.
Though the episode hasn’t aired yet, the portrayal is already having a favorable impact within the ALS community.
Dane, 53, is known for his roles in “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria.” The father of two teenage daughters, he announced his ALS diagnosis in April and vowed to help raise awareness of the neurodegenerative disease and encourage more investment in fighting it.
The episode “The Fire Fighter” is slated to air on Nov. 24. Dane plays a heroic firefighter who struggles to share his ALS diagnosis with his family
Based on a request from Dane, a graphic will be displayed after the episode ends, directing viewers to the I AM ALS website.
A warm welcome from the ALS community
“It’s always important to see the experience of living with ALS reflected in popular culture,” says Larry Falivena, who is the ALS Association board chair and lives with ALS. “When Eric Dane brings his firefighter character into living rooms across the country, it helps people understand not only how emotionally and physically devastating the disease is, but also the grace and strength that people living with ALS show every day.”
Falivena believes that diverse representation can help make a difference.
“My hope is that portrayals like this one will not only raise awareness,” Falivena says, “but also spark more compassion, research, and urgency to make ALS livable and, ultimately, to cure it.”
ALS News Today columnist Dagmar Munn, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2010, also believes that representation in the entertainment industry, such as what Dane is doing, is meaningful.
“I do fully support actors continuing to perform, if they can, while living with conditions such as ALS,” Munn says. “Their presence helps to keep the disease visible to the public by both mentioning the name ALS and watching how the symptoms affect their actions.”
Dane’s portrayal comes more than 80 years after the actor Gary Cooper played legendary New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig in the film “The Pride of the Yankees.” The movie helped heighten awareness of ALS, which was then not as well-known. For a long time, ALS was often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s disease.”
Advocating for ALS awareness
Dane is using his public platform to advocate for ALS. With I AM ALS, he recently helped launch the Push for Progress campaign, which has a three-year goal of netting $1 billion in federal funding to boost ALS treatment and research.
“For over a century, ALS has been incurable, and we’re done accepting the status quo,” Dane said in an I AM ALS press release at the campaign’s launch. “That’s why I’ve partnered with I AM ALS and their Push for Progress.”
In October, Dane lobbied Congress for renewal of the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act — ACT for ALS, which is set to expire in 2026. In January, Dane will be honored by the ALS Network as its Advocate of the Year.
According to Rachael Kesler Palm, director of marketing and communications for I AM ALS, the organization has seen “a huge increase” in engagement and volunteering since Dane’s involvement.
“His celebrity helps quite a bit,” says Palm. “It opens doors, and he’s aware of that. He is a star with so much visibility.”
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