The Euphoria cast is honoring costar Eric Dane after his death at age 53 following a battle with ALS.
Dane, who played Jacob Elordi’s father, Cal, since season 1, announced his diagnosis shortly before production began on the show’s final episodes.
“I have been diagnosed with ALS,” he said in an April 2025 statement ahead of season 3. “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 set of Euphoria next week. I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”
After his death, an HBO spokesperson paid tribute to Dane in a statement, writing, “We are deeply saddened by the news of Eric Dane’s passing. He was incredibly talented and HBO was fortunate to have worked with him on three seasons of Euphoria. Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”
Euphoria, which premiered in 2019, originally followed troubled high school student Rue (Zendaya) as she struggled to remain sober after rehab. The hit HBO series was quickly renewed for a second season after its premiere, but it took nearly three years for the episodes to air.
Season 3 was originally set to air on HBO in 2025 before facing several obstacles, including creator Sam Levinson’s commitment to his short-lived series The Idol. The dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which took place in late 2023, prolonged the delay.
Euphoria ultimately went into production later that year. Since season 2 concluded, the cast went through more loss when Angus Cloud died at age 25 in July 2023 following an accidental overdose.
Dane, meanwhile, was candid about his attempts to keep working despite the difficult battle with ALS.
“I’m not about to concede my purpose to some disease. I just am not capable of doing that,” he said in a November 2025 panel discussion in conjunction with I AM ALS. “I have no reason to be in a good spirit at any time, on any given day. I don’t think anybody would blame me if I went upstairs in my bedroom, crawled under the sheets, and spent the next two weeks crying. And I was a little bit pleasantly surprised when I realized that I wasn’t built like that, because I thought for sure that was gonna be me.”
Euphoria will return for its third and final season on April 12, with the show expected to pay tribute to both Cloud and Dane.
Keep scrolling to see how Dane was honored by his Euphoria costars:
Sam Levinson
“I’m heartbroken by the loss of our dear friend Eric. Working with him was an honor,” the creator of the HBO series said in a statement. “Being his friend was a gift. Eric’s family is in our prayers. May his memory be for a blessing.”
Sydney Sweeney
Sydney Sweeney shared a video of Eric Dane via her Instagram Stories, captioning the clip, “Forever will love you ❤️.”
Barbie Ferreira
Barbie Ferreira reshared a clip of Eric Dane with a white heart emoji via her Instagram Story.
Nika King
Nika King, who plays Leslie Bennett, shared her own tribute via Instagram.
“I remember one of our last table reads for @euphoria-the level of commitment you brought into that room was undeniable. All the way locked in,” King recalled. “That kind of artistry challenged everybody else to dig a little deeper. You didn’t have to be in a scene with you to feel how seriously you took the responsibility of telling the story right. There’s something really special about being part of an ensemble where even the ones you don’t directly create with still shape the energy of what you’re building together. That was the ripple effect you had.”
She continued, “I wish I’d gotten the chance to share a scene with you. But I’m grateful we shared the same world … the same wild ride. You’re going to be missed. Sending prayers to your family and everyone who loved you.”
