Eric Dane Believes He 'Was Probably Fired' from Grey's Anatomy, But Says He 'Understood'

For six seasons, Eric Dane was the heartthrob known colloquially as "Dr. McSteamy" on the hit ABC medical drama, admitting he "was probably fired" while detailing what happened.

After six seasons, he went from McSteamy to McLeaving, and now Grey's Anatomy alum Eric Dane is opening up about his surprise exit from the hit Shondaland ABC drama -- and why he's pretty sure he "was probably fired."

Speaking with Dax Shepard on the latter's Armchair Expert podcast, the Euphoria star admitted that his sobriety was definitely a factor. While he said he was four years sober before he even joined the cast of Grey's , it didn't last.

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Ultimately, due to the pressure of his monumental fame -- exacerbated no doubt by that "McSteamy" moniker in fan circles -- Dane said he was "f--ked up longer than I was sober" during his time on Grey's , "and that was when things started going sideways for me."

He voluntarily checked into rehab in 2011 for an addiction to painkillers prescribed to him after a sports injury. The following year, he announced his exit from the series.

At the same time, though, Dane doesn't think his addiction struggles were the problem, while admitting "it definitely didn't help." Instead, he suspects, "I was starting to become, as most of these actors who have spent significant time on a show, you start to become very expensive for the network."

"And the network knows that the show is going to do what it’s going to do irrespective of who they keep on it," he continued. "As long as they have their Grey, they’re fine."

He explained, "I wasn’t the same guy they had hired. So I had understood when I was let go."

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He praised creator Shonda Rhimes for protecting her cast "fiercely" both publicly and privately before adding, "But I was probably fired. It wasn’t ceremoniously like, ‘You’re fired,’ it was just like, ‘You’re not coming back.'”

After a shocking plane crash left fans breathless at the end of Season 8, Dane's Dr. Sloan succumbed to his injuries in the following season premiere, alongside Chyler Leigh's Lexie Grey. Along with several other dead characters, Dane returned in Season 17's Covid-inspired hallucinations.

As Dane noted, Grey's has survived plenty of cast changes and upheavals over the year. The long-running show has even survived the almost-departure of Grey herself, as Ellen Pompeo has reduced her role on the show, though she continues its signature voiceovers.

That leaves Chandra Wilson and James Pickens, Jr. as the only full-time cast members remaining from Season 1. They're joined by Kevin McKidd, Kim Raver, Camilla Luddington, Caterina Scorsone, Chris Carmack, Anthony Hill, and Station 19 's Jason George in the main cast, alongside new interns Alexis Floyd, Harry Shum Jr., Adelaide Kane, Niko Tehro, and Midori Francis, recurring in Season 21.