{"id":224331,"date":"2026-02-22T07:43:51","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T07:43:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/22\/sara-ramirez-pays-tribute-to-eric-dane-shares-his-support-for-trans-costar\/"},"modified":"2026-02-22T07:43:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T07:43:51","slug":"sara-ramirez-pays-tribute-to-eric-dane-shares-his-support-for-trans-costar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/22\/sara-ramirez-pays-tribute-to-eric-dane-shares-his-support-for-trans-costar\/","title":{"rendered":"Sara Ramirez Pays Tribute to Eric Dane, Shares His Support for Trans Costar"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Sara Ramirez<\/strong> celebrated the life of their late Grey\u2019s Anatomy<\/em> costar Eric Dane<\/strong><\/a> by sharing how he once selflessly supported a guest star on the medical drama.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, February 21, Ramirez, 50, became the latest Grey\u2019s Anatomy<\/em> cast member<\/a> to pay tribute to Dane, who died at age 53 on Thursday, February 19, following a battle with the neurodegenerative disease ALS.<\/p>\n

Ramirez posted a \u201cbroken heart emoji\u201d via Instagram<\/a> and shared a video from trans activist and actress Alexandra Billings,<\/strong> who played Donna Gibson in the classic Grey\u2019s Anatomy<\/em> season 3 episode \u201cWhere the Boys Are.\u201d The powerful episode dealt with Dr. Mark Sloan (Dane) supporting Donna when she was diagnosed with breast cancer while in the midst of transitioning.<\/p>\n

In a 15-minute tribute, Billings recalled the way Dane showed her empathy on set and fought for her when her lengthy monologue was supposed to be cut. Per Billings, she shared with Dane how her real-life doctor would \u201ctouch my knee or he would hold me\u201d while she was going through the process of transitioning in the 1980s.<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>Eric Dane Died on 20th Anniversary of His 1st ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Episode<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tEric Dane died on the 20th anniversary of his first appearance on Grey\u2019s Anatomy. Dane\u2019s loved ones confirmed his death in a statement on Thursday, February 19, following his battle with ALS, noting that the actor \u201cspent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201c[The doctor] would let me know he saw me, no matter what we were talking about,\u201d explained.<\/p>\n

After sharing that memory, Dane held Billings\u2019 hand during their scene to emulate the real support she\u2019d received. Later, the director and writer informed Billings that they would have to cut her inspiring monologue for time reasons.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Eric] turns to me and he says very quietly, he says, \u2018What are the five most important things you say in that monologue?\u2019 \u2026 And I told him! I don\u2019t remember what they were, but I told him one of them was about my wife, a line about my wife. And he said, \u2018Say that and we\u2019ll do a little improvisation,\u2019\u201d she remembered. \u201cAnd he turned to the boom mic [operator] and he said, \u2018What do you think?\u2019 And from the back, you hear like little Muppets, \u2018Yes, that\u2019s a great idea!\u2019 So they were all for it. And that\u2019s what you see in the episode.\u201d<\/p>\n

Billings said that \u201cit changed everything for me\u201d when Dane fought for her character Donna to have that moment of catharsis.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was no reason in the world for him to do that. It didn\u2019t have anything to do with him,\u201d she said. \u201cTime is money, especially in television. Eric Dane was one of the kindest, most empathetic humans I think I\u2019ve ever worked with. I think that I could count on one hand the amount of times where I\u2019ve left a set \u2026 and gone, \u2018I can\u2019t believe.\u2019 Or, \u2018That was extraordinary.\u2019 And that was one of those times. Eric Dane showed everyone on that set what a true ally looks like. It\u2019s not just talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Eric Dane in \u201cGrey\u2019s Anatomy.\u201d<\/span> Adam Larkey \/ ABC \/ Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As she fought back tears, Billings went on, \u201cAn ally is present even when there\u2019s danger in them being present. And that\u2019s what Eric Dane did. I didn\u2019t know him. I really didn\u2019t know him but I absolutely knew him. And he will be missed. And I\u2019m going to say something I didn\u2019t get a chance to say to him: Thank you, Eric. Thank you. From all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier this week, Patrick Dempsey<\/strong> admitted it was \u201chard to put into words\u201d<\/a> what his Grey\u2019s Anatomy<\/em> costar Dane\u2019s death meant.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was the funniest man \u2014 he was such a joy to work with, and I want to just remember him in that spirit, because any time he was on set, he brought so much fun to it,\u201d Dempsey recalled. \u201cHe had a great sense of humor. He was easy to work with. We got along instantly. First scene was him, you know, in all his glory, coming out of the bathroom with the towel on looking amazing, making you feel completely out of shape and insignificant.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hit it off because it was never really any competition,\u201d he added. \u201cThere was just this wonderful mutual respect, he\u2019s wickedly intelligent, and I\u2019m always going to remember those moments of fun that we had together and celebrate the joy that he did bring to people\u2019s lives, and the real loss is for us who don\u2019t have them anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

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