Kate Walsh remembers Eric Dane, calls him 'sensitive' and 'magnetic' in tribute

Kate Walsh paid tribute to her late ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ co-star Eric Dane following his death on February 19 at age 53. She shared a heartfelt Instagram post about their time together on the long-running medical drama, recalling both his work on set and the friendship they built in the show’s early days.Just Jared reported that Walsh said she was “at a loss for words to try to express the sadness around Eric’s passing.” She added, “First and foremost I am thinking of his girls and Rebecca and holding them in my prayers and my heart.” The two actors first appeared together in an elevator scene on ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ Walsh admitted she had an instant reaction when she met him. “He was so handsome and I thought ‘but can this guy act?’ and of course he could, and did, and the rest is history,” she wrote.Walsh also shared what she valued most about Dane beyond his talent. “One of the things I loved about Eric was his sensitivity and vulnerability, and intelligence of course,” she said. She added that he had “the gravitas & old soul that made his work magnetic and made him a great friend off set.”She recalled how intense the early schedule was and how it drew the cast close. “In those early days of Grey’s, as with most network tv shows, we spent more time with each other than with anyone else and so we became a family of sorts and Eric was such a source of support and love,” Walsh wrote.Dane was widely known for playing Dr. Mark Sloan on ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ a role that turned him into a fan favorite. Walsh’s message focused on the person behind the character and the steady support she felt from him at work.In her tribute, she also pointed to the illness he faced, calling it “awful,” and encouraged people to support efforts tied to care and research. Her post closed with a sense of gratitude, as she remembered a colleague who left a lasting mark on her life.