Ahead of his 53rd birthday, L'OFFICIEL looks back at young photos of the iconic "McSteamy."&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/euphoria-season-3-cast-details-rosalia-hunter-schafer-zendaya" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Euphoria</a> actor Eric Dane turns 53 on November 9&mdash;a birthday that arrives after nearly three decades commanding the screen with that unmistakable star power that first made audiences fall in love with him. Dane&rsquo;s legacy began with scene-stealing roles in the early 2000s, but it was his long-running turn as Dr. Mark &ldquo;McSteamy&rdquo; Sloan on Grey&rsquo;s Anatomy that turned him into a cultural staple, a household name, and a crush for an entire era of TV watchers.&nbsp;His film work, from&nbsp;<em style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px;">Burlesque&nbsp;with Cher and Christina Aguilera to&nbsp;<em style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px;">Valentine&rsquo;s Day&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0px;">X-Men: The Last Stand,&nbsp;only further cemented his status as a leading man in Hollywood.&nbsp;
Then there were his more recent roles, like Cal Jacobs in HBO&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/everything-we-know-euphoria-season-3-zendaya-plot-trailer-spoilers-cast-release-date" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Euphoria</a>, which reminded everyone that &ldquo;McSteamy&rdquo; was always shorthand for much more than good looks. Dane is an actor who is capable of portraying darkness and complex masculinity that we often miss on TV shows.&nbsp;
In April 2025, Dane shared publicly that he had been diagnosed with ALS. He has since transitioned to using a wheelchair, but the actor remains determined and quite vocal on the recent diagnosis and his struggles with the disease. He&rsquo;s been present on social media, involved in ongoing creative work, and committed to advocating for research and awareness.&nbsp;
So today, on the eve of his 53rd birthday, we&rsquo;re looking back. Ahead, see rare young photos of Eric Dane&mdash;before the icon and before the cultural nickname of "McSteamy."&nbsp;

Eric Dane in 2001. Getty Images.

Eric Dane and Gisela Getty in 2001. Getty Images.

Eric Dane and Alyssa Milano in 2003. Getty Images.

Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart in 2004. Getty Images.

Eric Dane in 2004. Getty Images.

Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart in 2005. Getty Images.

Eric Dane in 2006. Getty Images.

Eric Dane in 2007. Getty Images.

Eric Dane and Patrick Dempsey in 2007. Getty Images.

Young Photos of Eric Dane 

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Young Photos of Eric Dane

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