“I remember all the times we spent at the beach. The two of you, me and Mom, in Malibu, Santa Monica, Hawaii, Mexico. I see you now playing in the ocean for hours, my water babies,” Dane continued.
“Those days, pun intended, were heaven,” he added.
Dane shared Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, with his wife, Rebecca Gayheart. Although the former couple separated in 2017 after 13 years of marriage, Gayheart withdrew her divorce petition in March 2025 shortly before the “Euphoria” star announced his ALS diagnosis.
14 The “Grey’s Anatomy” alum and his wife (pictured above with her and Dane’s daughters in California in 2019) split in 2017 after 13 years of marriage.Getty Images
14 Dane (seen above in Netflix’s “Famous Last Words”) shared four things he learned from his ALS battle that he wanted his girls to remember after his death.Netflix
Dane went on to list four things he learned from his debilitating ALS battle that he wanted his kids to keep in mind following his death.
“I hope you won’t just listen to me, I hope you’ll hear me,” he began. “First, live now, right now in the present. It’s hard, but I learned to do that.”
“For years, I would wander off mentally, lost in my head for long chunks of time, wallowing in worry and self-pity, shame and doubt,” the “Charmed” alum continued. “I replayed decisions, second-guessed myself. ‘I should have done this. I never should’ve done that.’ No more.”
After Dane asked Billie and Georgia to “treasure” and “cherish every moment” of the present, he spoke to them about “falling in love.”
14 Dane (pictured here with his family in California in 2017) compared his time with his daughters to “heaven.”WireImage
14 “First, live now, right now in the present. It’s hard, but I learned to do that,” the “Charmed” alum (as seen above) said during his “Famous Last Words” episode.Netflix
“Not necessarily with a person, although I do recommend that as well,” he clarified. “But fall in love with something. Find your passion, your joy. Find the thing that makes you wanna get up in the morning. Drives you through the entire day.”
The now-late star told his girls that he fell in love with acting when he was around their age, and noted that he still loved his work despite his diagnosis.
“My work doesn’t define me, but it excites me,” he shared. “Find something. Find your path. Your purpose. Your dream. Then go for it. Really go for it.”
Next, Dane reminded his daughters to “choose your friends wisely.”
“Find your people and allow them to find you, and then give yourselves to them,” he suggested. “The best of them will give back to you. No judgment. No conditions. No questions asked.”
14 Dane (pictured here with Gayheart and their daughters in Hollywood in 2015) also told his girls to “choose your friends wisely.”FilmMagic
14 “Find something. Find your path. Your purpose. Your dream. Then go for it. Really go for it,” Dane (above) shared.Netflix
“I can’t even do the little things I used to anymore. I can’t drive around town, go to the gym, get coffee and hang out,” he said. “I’ve learned to embrace alternatives. My friends come to me.”
“They just show up. That’s a big one. Just show up,” Dane added. “And love your friends with everything you have. Hang on to them. They will entertain you, guide you, support you, and some will save you.”
The final lesson Dane left for his daughters with his last heart-wrenching words was to “fight with every ounce of your being and with dignity.”
He also reminded them to “never give up” when faced with challenges and to always “fight until your last breath.”
“This disease is slowly taking my body, but it will never take my spirit,” he declared.
14 Gayheart (pictured here with Dane and their daughters in California in 2016) withdrew her divorce petition in March 2025 shortly before the “Euphoria” star announced his ALS diagnosis.WireImage
14 Dane (seen here with his family in 2022) reminded his girls to “never give up” when faced with challenges and to always “fight until your last breath.”rebeccagayheartdane/Instagram
After sharing the four lessons he wanted Billie and Georgia to keep in mind once he was gone, Dane shared two additional things he was leaving them with: his strength and resiliency.
“The two of you are different people,” the “Private Practice” alum said. “But you’re both strong and resilient. You inherited resiliency from me.”
“That’s my superpower,” he continued. “I bounce right up, and I keep coming back. I get up again and again and again. So when something unexpected hits you, and it will, because that’s life, fight and face it with honesty, integrity and grace, even if it feels or seems insurmountable.”
Dane ended his final message to Billie and Georgia by telling the pair that they “can face anything,” before saying goodbye to his girls one last time.
“You can face the end of your days. You can face hell with dignity,” he proclaimed. “Fight, girls, and hold your heads high.”
“Billie and Georgia, you are my heart. You are my everything. Good night. I love you,” Dane concluded through tears. “Those are my last words.”
14 The “Euphoria” alum (seen here with Gayheart and Georgia in West Hollywood in October 2025) ended his final message to Billie and Georgia by reminding them that they “can face anything.”VEGAN / BACKGRID
14 “Billie and Georgia, you are my heart. You are my everything. Good night. I love you,” Dane (seen here with Gayheart and Georgia in West Hollywood in October 2025) concluded his final message. “Those are my last words.”ShotbyNYP / BACKGRID
Netflix released Dane’s emotional final interview just hours after the “Brilliant Minds” guest star’s loved ones announced his death on Thursday. He was 53.
“With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS,” Dane’s family announced in an emotional statement to People.
“He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world,” his loved ones added.
14 Dane (seen here during a “Euphoria” event in Los Angeles in April 2022) passed away on Thursday, 10 months after announcing he was diagnosed with ALS.Getty Images
14 Dane (seen here during a video for the nonprofit I Am ALS in September 2025) was remembered by his loved ones, closest friends and co-stars following the devastating news of his death.I Am ALS/YouTube
“He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always,” they concluded. “Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received. The family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time.”
Many of Dane’s former co-stars, including several from “Grey’s Anatomy,” paid tribute to him following the news of his sad passing.
