Eric Dane made clear his deep appreciation for the hit HBO Max series Euphoria in one of the final interviews taped before his death.
Dane appeared in the new documentary Euphoria: A Look Back, having filmed the interview before he died in February at age 53. The actor appeared throughout the third and final season of Euphoria, filmed after he revealed his diagnosis with the neurodegenerative disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in April 2025.
In the documentary, which began streaming Friday on HBO Max, Dane said working on the show as Cal Jacobs — father to Jacob Elordi’s Nate — was “at times challenging, but the challenges were taken as opportunities.”
“It’s been such a wonderful experience,” he said, adding that it was also “the most profound experience” of his career.
The series’ creator, Sam Levinson, paid tribute to Dane in the documentary, calling him “a wonderful human being” and “a wonderful actor.”
“He showed up every day with grace and dignity,” Levinson added.
The series paid tribute to Dane, as well as late star Angus Cloud, at the end of its season three premiere episode. Cloud starred as loveable drug dealer Fezco in Euphoria’s first two seasons. He died aged 25 from an accidental overdose in July 2023.
The names of the two actors appeared at the end of the credits, with a black screen reading “In Memoriam” alongside each of their names.
Dane previously spoke about the impact that Euphoria has on him in a 2025 interview with Variety when he identified the first role that made him feel like a true artist.
“I’ve always had a profound respect for the craft of acting, but I never considered myself an artist. I could never admit it, until I started making Euphoria,” Dane said. “That’s when I gave myself the allowance to feel like I was an artist.”
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Before that, in 2022, he told the publication: “There aren’t words to describe how much I love the show.”
“These kids — I’m calling them kids, can you believe that?” he added. “These young adults are so talented. It blows me away every time I watch their work.”
Dane portrayed closeted and deeply troubled Cal Jacobs, the father of Elordi’s high school quarterback Nate, in Levinson’s gritty teen drama.
Euphoria came to an end with season three when its finale aired in May. But fans can stream Euphoria: A Look Back for cast and crew interviews, as well as scenes from throughout the series.
Euphoria: A Look Back is now available to stream on HBO Max.
