Eric Dane will guest star in an upcoming episode of NBC’s Brilliant Minds as a man with ALS — which Dane himself has.
The Euphoria actor will appear in the ninth episode of Brilliant Minds’ second season, scheduled to air Nov. 24. Dane will play Matthew, a heroic firefighter who struggles to share his ALS diagnosis with his family and turns to Dr. Oliver Wolf (series lead Zachary Quinto) for help.
Dane disclosed in April that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and causes loss of muscle control. It currently has no cure.
“At the end of the day, just, all I want to do is spend time with my family and work a little bit if I can,” Dane told Diane Sawyer in a Good Morning America interview in June. “I don’t think this is the end of my story. I just don’t feel like, in my heart, I don’t feel like this is the end of me.”
Dane has continued to work since his diagnosis and is currently filming the third season of HBO’s Euphoria, which is slated for a 2026 premiere. He was also part of Prime Video’s crime drama Countdown, which streamed over the summer. The disease did, however, cause him to miss a scheduled appearance at the Emmy Awards in September; he told The Washington Post that he was hospitalized after losing his balance and falling at home shortly before the awards.
Brilliant Minds is based on the life and work of physician and author Oliver Sacks. Along with Quinto, the show’s cast includes Tamberla Perry, Ashleigh LaThrop, Alex MacNicoll, Aury Krebs, Spence Moore II, Teddy Sears, Donna Murphy, John Clarence Stewart, Brian Altemus and Al Calderon.
Michael Grassi created the series and executive produces with Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman, Lee Toland Krieger, DeMane Davis, Jasmine Russ, Henrik Bastin, Jonathan Cavendish, Andy Serkis and Shefali Malhoutra. The show comes from Berlanti Productions, Fabel Entertainment, The Imaginarium, Grassi Productions and Tavala in association with Warner Bros. TV and Universal TV.
