American actor Eric Dane recorded his final message to his daughters, Billie (15) and Georgia (14), before passing away from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
“Billie and Georgia, these words are for you. I tried. Sometimes I stumbled, but I tried. Overall, we had such a good time, didn’t we? I remember all the times we spent at the beach. You two, me and mom — in Malibu, Santa Monica, Hawaii, Mexico. I see you now, playing in the ocean for hours, my ‘water babies.’ Those days were paradise,” he said.
He continued by expressing his hope that they would not only hear his words, but truly understand them. He encouraged them to live in the present moment, admitting that it is difficult, but something he eventually learned to do.
“For years, I wandered mentally, lost in my own head for long stretches of time, immersed in worry and self-pity, shame and doubt. I questioned myself and my decisions. ‘I should have done this. I should never have done that.’ No more,” he continued.
He told his daughters to fall in love — not necessarily only with a person, although he recommended that too — but with something that brings them joy and passion, something that makes them want to wake up in the morning. He shared that he fell in love with acting at their age and emphasized that he loved his work despite his diagnosis.
“My job does not define me, but it excites me. Find something. Find your path, your purpose, your dream. Then go for it. Truly go for it,” he said.
He also advised them to choose their friends wisely.
“Find your people and let them find you, then surrender to them. The best of them will reward you. No judgment. No conditions. No questions,” he said.
Dane expressed deep gratitude for his friends and family, explaining that they made his life easier after he learned about his illness.
“I can’t do even the small things I used to do. I can’t drive around town, go to the gym, have coffee, or socialize the way I once did. I’ve learned to embrace alternatives. My friends come to me. They just show up. That matters. Just show up and love your friends with everything you have. Hold them tight. They will entertain you, guide you, support you, and some may even save you,” he said.
He told his daughters to fight with their entire being, with dignity, until their final breath.
“This disease is slowly taking my body, but it will never take my spirit,” he declared.
In the end, he said he was leaving them two things: his strength and his resilience.
“You are both different people, but you are both strong and resilient. You inherited resilience from me. I get up immediately and keep coming back. I rise again and again and again. So when something unexpected hits you — and it will, because that’s life — fight and face it with honesty, integrity, and grace, even if it feels impossible,” he said.
“Fight, girls, and keep your heads high. Billie and Georgia, you are my heart. You are everything to me. Good night. I love you. These are my final words.”
