Eric William Dane is an American actor, most recently known for his role as Dr. Mark Sloan in Grey's Anatomy. After appearing in a high school production of Arthur Miller's All My Sons, Dane decided to pursue a career in acting. He relocated to Los Angeles, where he played small roles in the television series Saved by the Bell, The Wonder Years, Roseanne, and Married With Children, among others. But in 2000, he was signed for a recurring role in Gideon's Crossing, and followed this with a two-season run in Charmed. His made-for-television movie credits included two biopics, Serving in Silence (about Margarethe Cammermeyer's experiences in the military), and Helter Skelter, in which he portrayed a member of the Charles Manson clan.

Dane's first major feature film appearance was in The Basket (1999). He also appeared in Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane, Sol Goode, Feast, Open Water 2, and X-Men: The Last Stand. In 2005, Dane guested as Dr. Mark Sloan (nicknamed "McSteamy" by Meredith Grey) in "Yesterday," the eighteenth episode of the second season of the Abcmedical drama Grey's Anatomy. Positive audience reaction to the character led to Dane's becoming a regular in the show's third season. His first appearance in the season, in which he walked out of the bathroom soaking wet and wearing only a strategically placed towel, was labeled a "watercooler moment". In December 2006, he starred in the A&E TV movie Wedding Wars as the brother of a gay man (played by John Stamos who goes on strike in support of marriage equality.

Dane was born in San Francisco, California to a homemaker mother and an interior designer/architect father. In 2001, Dane briefly became involved with actress Lara Flynn Boylewhen the two met while filming crossover episodes of their respective drama series Gideon's Crossing and The Practice, both produced by David E. Kelley. He married actress Rebecca Gayhearton October 29, 2004. He is also close friends with actor Balthazar Getty On February 6, 2008, celebrity news magazine OK! reported that Dane was diagnosed with skin cancer, and was recovering after having malignant tissue removed from his lip.However, on February 13, Dane's representative told Us Weekly that Dane does not have cancer and was "mortified" by the erroneous information. Dane is said to be considering legal action.