Eric Dane opens up about alcohol and drug addiction while recalling his stint in Grey's Anatomy

Eric Dane gets candid about his alcohol and drug addiction and subsequent exit from the long-running TV show Grey's Anatomy. Joining Dax Shepard in his Armchair Expert podcast's Jun 24 episode, the Grey's Anatomy alum talked about battling addiction while filming the medical drama series, saying that he didn't choose to leave the show.

During the conversation, the actor told Shepard how much he was struggling in the background.

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

Meanwhile, talking about his exit from the Grey's Anatomy, he said,

"I didn't leave so much as I think I was let go."

But when the podcast host noted he was battling drug and alcohol addiction toward the end of his stint on the show, Dane was quick to say that it wasn't the reason his character on the series was written off.

"I was struggling. They didn't let me go because of that, although it definitely didn't help."

Eric Dane first came into the show as Dr. Mark "McSteamy" Sloan around the end of season 2 and quickly became a fan favorite, but his character was written off the show in Season 9.

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Eric Dane reveals the likely reason he was written off in Grey's Anatomy after six seasons

During the same interview, the star gave his two cents about the real reason his character was written off the ABC drama during the earlier episodes of Season 9.

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

He further stated,

"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're fine."

Completely understanding of the network's decision to let him go as a regular cast member of the show, Eric Dane also mentioned that his addiction didn't help matters.

"I wasn't the same guy they hired, so I had understood when I was let go."

Although he was written off the show, the actor expressed love and appreciation for what the show's creator, Shonda Rhimes, did for them, especially him. He said that Rhimes protected the cast "fiercely," both privately and publicly.

"I love Shonda Rhimes, and she protected me."

The actor also opened up that his exit wasn't ceremonious and didn't get the usual "You're fired" spiel, but was instead told that he was simply not coming back.

With that said, Eric Dane came back on the show for an episode in Season 17, appearing as a guest cast alongside his on-screen love interest Lexie Grey, played by Chyler Leigh. Both their characters died because of the plane crash featured in the Grey's Anatomy Season 8 finale.