When did Eric Dane join Grey’s Anatomy? All about the late actor’s role in the popular medical drama

Season 2 of Grey’s Anatomy saw the arrival of Eric Dane in 2006, taking the role of the charismatic yet controversial plastic surgeon Mark Sloan. Initially appearing as a guest, Mark rapidly became one of the show’s most iconic characters. His bravado, complicated friendships, and chaotic love life had earned him the nickname “McSteamy,” and he quickly became central to many of the show’s most enduring emotional storylines.

It started as a disruptive arrival, but ended as one of the most complex character journeys in the series. Over the years, Mark developed from a reckless womaniser to a fiercely loyal friend, father, and partner. Until 2012, Eric Dane played the role of Mark, when his storyline concluded in a heartbreaking death in the show’s notorious plane crash plot. Here is all about the late actor’s role in the popular medical drama.

How did Eric Dane get on Grey’s Anatomy? Mark Sloan's character arc explored

When Eric Dane made his debut on Grey’s Anatomy, his character came in with a scandal. Mark Sloan is Derek Shepherd’s estranged best friend and the reason his marriage to Addison Montgomery collapsed. Therefore, during most of the early seasons, a large part of Mark's reputation came from his charm and his reckless relationships. But as the show continued, he became a more layered, emotional character.

One of the most important relationships in his life was with Lexie Grey. Their relationship got off to a relatively hasty start, but slowly began by far the most popular couple on the show. Mark was initially reluctant due to the age gap and his complicated friendship with Derek, but their bond was too strong to deny.

Mark also shared a deep and complicated bond with Callie Torres, who later became the mother of his daughter, Sofia.

He was a long way from the person he was when viewers first met him, possessive, reliable, and actually able to invest emotionally. This transformation turned Mark from mere comic relief into the emotional centerpiece of the show.

One of the most heart-rending storylines in Grey’s Anatomy was in Season 8, when a plane crash stranded a group of doctors in the wilderness. It would alter the series forever. Lexie was critically injured in the crash, and her final moments with Mark were one of the series’ most powerful scenes. Mark confessed how much he loved her. His confession was quiet and devastating, coming far too late to change what had already happened.

Death and Legacy of Dane's character Mark Sloan in Grey's Anatomy

Mark initially survived the crash but sustained massive internal injuries. At the beginning of Season 9 of Grey’s Anatomy, the hospital kept him on life support for his friends to say their goodbyes. When he died, he and Lexie became two of the show’s biggest casualties.

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In their honor, the hospital was renamed Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital after Mark Sloan and Lexie Grey.

By the end of his storyline, Mark Sloan was more than just the lovable “McSteamy.” Thanks to Eric Dane’s powerhouse work, the role developed into one of the series’ most fully realized character journeys: a deeply flawed man who slowly figured out how to love, be responsible, and put people before himself.

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