Eric Dane reveals real reason he was fired from Grey's Anatomy while reflecting on past struggles with addiction

Eric  Dane has opened up about his exit from Grey's Anatomy.

The Euphoria star, who is optimistic his Emmy-winning show will return for another season, revealed there were several reasons he was written out of the show.

The handsome actor, 51, starred as Dr. Mark Sloan, aka McSteamy, from 2006 to 2012.

'I didn't leave so much as I think I was let go,' he told Dax Shepherd on the Armchair Expert podcast.

When asked about his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction during his tenure, Dane said 'I was struggling. They didn't let me go because of that, although it definitely didn't help.'

Eric Dane, 51, has opened up an his departure from Grey's Anatomy in 2012 after six seasons on the hit medical drama

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The Bad Boys: Ride or Die star said he believes the bottom line lead to his departure.

'I was starting to become, as most of these actors who have spent significant time on the show, you start to become very expensive for the network,' he said.

'And the network knows that the show is going to do what it's going to do irrespective of who they keep on it— as long as they have their Grey they were fine.'

The character Mark Sloan passed away after being injured in a plane crash that claimed the life of his on-screen love, Dr. Lexie Grey, played by Chyler Leigh.

The actor, who had been sober for several years when he was hired on the show, admitted he relapsed during the Writers Guild of America Strike in 2007.

'I wasn't the same guy they had hired, so I had understood when I was let go and [show creator] Shonda Rhimes was really great,' he said.

'She protected us fiercely. She protected us publicly, she protected us privately,' he explained

'I love Shonda Rhimes and she protected me but I was probably fired. It wasn't ceremoniously like, "You're fired," it was just like, "You're not coming back."'

The actor, who starred as Dr. Mark Sloan, aka McSteamy, said there were a variety of reasons that lead to his departure on the Armchair Expert podcast with Dax Shepherd

The actor, who had been sober for several years when he was hired on the show, admitted he relapsed during the Writers Guild of America Strike in 2007. 'I wasn't the same guy they had hired, so I had understood when I was let go' he said

The Bad Boys: Ride or Die star said he believes the bottom line also lead to his departure. 'I was starting to become, as most of these actors who have spent significant time on the show, you start to become very expensive for the network,' he said

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'If you take the whole eight years I was on Grey's Anatomy, I was f**ked up longer than I was sober and that was when things started going sideways for me.'

He added that the sudden fame from the hit show may have contributed to his falling off the wagon.

'It was overwhelming, and I think I just wanted to pretend that it wasn’t and that I was comfortable with it. Act like you’ve been there, but you haven’t been there,' he explained.

Dane returned for a cameo in season 17, as did Patrick Dempsey's Dr. Derek Shepher, when Ellen Pompeo's Meredith Grey was in a Covid coma

The only full-time original characters on Grey's Anatomy are Chandra Wilson's Dr. Miranda Bailey, and James Pickens Jr's Dr. Richard Webber. Ellen Pompeo's Meredith Grey is now a recurring character rather than a regular

Dane is currently starring in Bad Boys: Ride or Die  (Pictured in Los Angeles in May)

Dane did return for a guest appearance, along with Chyler Leigh in season 17, when Ellen Pompeo's Meredith Grey was in a Covid coma.

Other actor's whose characters had passed away also returned for cameos, including Patrick Dempsey as Meredith's late husband Dr. Derek Shepherd, T.R. Knight as Dr. George O’Malley and  Giacomo Gianniotti as Dr. Andrew DeLuca.

The only full-time original characters on Grey's Anatomy are Chandra Wilson's Dr. Miranda Bailey, and James Pickens Jr's Dr. Richard Webber.  Ellen Pompeo's Meredith Grey is now a recurring character, rather than a regular.

ABC has renewed the show for a 21st season.