In a heartbreaking farewell published just after his death, Euphoria star Eric Dane has left a powerful final message for his two teenage daughters.
The actor died on Thursday, February 19, aged 53, after a ten-month battle with ALS.
Before he died, Dane sat down for a secret interview with Netflix for the series Famous last wordswhich was not published until he had passed.
In the closing moments, the camera was left on Dane so he could speak directly to 15-year-old Billie and 14-year-old Georgia.
Starting with the emotional declaration, “Billie and Georgia, these words are for you,” Dane admitted that while he had his share of stumbles as a father, he always tried his best.
He looked back fondly on their times together at the beach and told his girls that he would always see them playing in the waves.
He told them those days were “heaven.”
Dane shared four vital life lessons he had learned while living with his illness.
His first piece of advice was to stay grounded in the moment. “Live now, right now in the moment. It’s hard, but I learned to do it,” he said.
He explained that for years he had wasted time worrying about the past and wondering about his choices, but his illness forced him to appreciate “the present” as a matter of survival.
His second lesson was about finding purpose.
“Second, fall in love. Not necessarily with a person, although I recommend that too. But fall in love with something,” he urged.
He told his daughters how much he still loved acting, a passion he discovered at their age, and encouraged them to find what makes them want to get up in the morning and “really go for it.”
He also emphasized the importance of having a strong support system.
“Third, choose your friends carefully. Find your people and let them find you, and give yourself to them. The best of them will give you back. No judgement. No conditions. No questions asked.”
Dane shared his deep gratitude for his own friends who continued to show up and support him even when he could no longer do simple things like drive a car or get coffee.
Finally, he encouraged his daughters to be resilient.
“Finally fight with every ounce of your being and with dignity. When you face challenges, health or otherwise, fight,” he said.
He reminded them that while the disease affected his body, it could never touch his spirit.
He described himself as having the “superpower” of always getting back up, and joked that a friend once compared him to a cat with fifteen lives instead of nine.
He told the girls that even when life seems impossible, they must face it with honesty and grace.
Fighting back tears, Dane ended his message with one last declaration of love.
“Billie and Georgia, you are my heart. You are my everything. Goodnight. I love you. These are my last words.”
After his death, Dane’s family confirmed that he was surrounded by his friends, his wife Rebecca Gayheart and his daughters, who they said were the absolute center of his world.
