Eric Dane talks sobriety, body image struggles during 'Grey's Anatomy'

Eric Dane is opening up about his personal struggles with sobriety and body image during his time on "Grey's Anatomy."

The actor, who played Dr. Mark Sloan -- aka "McSteamy" -- for six seasons on the ABC medical drama, called his time on the show "fun" and said the instant fame he experienced because of it was "wild" during a recent episode of Dax Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast.

Dane recalled how he had been sober for three or four years before joining the show, saying, "I had my wits about me and I sort of knew what reality was and what reality wasn't, and I was able to differentiate between the two, and I was able to sort of conceptualize what that was, keep it in its place, enjoy it, dip in every now and again and come back."

Eric Dane arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere Of Columbia Pictures' "Bad Boys: Ride Or Die" at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, CA, May 30, 2024.Steve Granitz/FilmMagic via Getty Images

That ultimately changed, Dane said, adding, "If you take the whole eight years on 'Grey's Anatomy,' I was f----- up longer than I was sober, and that's when things started going sideways for me."

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

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While his character was most famous for a steamy towel scene -- which spawned his nickname -- Dane said it was hard to process being perceived as hot, saying, "My exterior did not match my interior."

"That was weird for me because I never saw myself as that. It was a real source of self-doubt," he said of the attention his looks brought him in the role. "I felt fraudulent."

Eric Dane appears in a scene from "Grey's Anatomy," Sept. 8, 2008.Eric McCandless/Disney for Getty Images

Dane was first introduced to "Grey's Anatomy" fans during season 2 before becoming a full-time cast member for season 3 through season 8.

Dr. Mark Sloan died in the season 9 premiere, succumbing to his injuries from a plane crash -- which killed numerous other characters including his love interest, Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh).

Recently, Dane returned as McSteamy for a cameo during season 17.

"Grey's Anatomy" has been renewed for a historic 21st season.