Grey's Anatomy Actor's Confession Makes His Exit Even More Heartbreaking: 'You're Not Coming Back'

Grey's Anatomy is more than just a TV show – it's a cultural phenomenon that has had a significant impact on pop culture and the medical drama genre. Since its debut in 2005, Grey's Anatomy has not only become one of the longest-running shows in TV history, but has also captured the hearts of millions of viewers around the world, as evidenced by its high ratings and cast salaries.

What makes Grey's Anatomy so popular is that all the doctors are ordinary people with their own flaws and problems. On the screen are the stories of ordinary mortals, literally. In this medical drama, no one is immune to serious tragedy and even death. The usual logic of "this character is one of the main ones, everything will be fine with him" does not work here.

Mark Sloan's Death Was One of the Most Painful in The Show

With each character's departure, Grey's Anatomy lost some of its original charm. These characters were not just part of the plot, they were the soul of the show, and their departure left a void that was difficult to fill. And one of those characters was Dr. Mark Sloan, played by Eric Dane.

At the end of the eighth season, Mark ends up on a plane with other doctors, survives the crash, but falls into a coma and dies in the first episode of the ninth season.

Eric Dane Reveals Real Reason He Left Grey's Anatomy

For a long time, it was believed that Eric left Grey's Anatomy because he was tired of filming the same project and wanted to diversify his acting career. However, in a recent interview, the actor revealed new details about his departure.

According to Dane, he struggled with addiction while filming Grey's Anatomy, which played a part in the fact his character was written off and the decision to leave was not entirely his own. The actor said:

“I think I was let go. [...] I wasn’t the same guy they had hired. So I had understood when I was let go. And Shonda [Rhimes] was really great. She protected us fiercely. [...] But I was probably fired. It wasn’t ceremoniously like, ‘You’re fired,’ it was just like, ‘You’re not coming back.'”

When Eric was cast in Grey's Anatomy, he was clean for several years, but eventually, according to the actor, he could not cope with the fame that was falling on him. As a result, he voluntarily went to rehab during filming to get rid of his addiction to painkillers, and at the same time, was struggling with depression.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter