Jensen Ackles Pays Tribute To Former Co-Star Eric Dane

Actor Jensen Ackles has paid tribute to his friend and former co-star, Eric Dane, who died yesterday at the age of 53.

Dane died just 10 months following his announcement that he had been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). ALS is a terminal, progressive disease in which "a person’s brain loses connection with the muscles, slowly taking away their ability to walk, talk, eat, and eventually breathe,” the ALS Foundation states. A typical lifespan is 2-5 years following diagnosis, but the actor and father-of-two tragically died less than a year later.

Ackles co-starred with Dane last year, as part of the Prime Video crime drama series Countdown. Ackles and Dane played the main characters Detective Mark Meachum and FBI Special Agent Nathan Blythe, respectively.

Taking to Instagram, Ackles shared three photos of him with the later actor, embracing one another and smiling. "Rest in peace my brother," the former Supernatural actor wrote. "I’ll see you down the road," he concluded, followed by a praying hands emoji.

Countdown premiered in June 2025, just months after Dane revealed his ALS diagnosis. The crime drama was cancelled after just one season, following mainly negative reviews from critics. However, the series is planned for release on syndication in 2026, according to Variety. No official date has been confirmed.

Jensen Ackles is one of many Hollywood actors paying tribute to Dane following his passing. Eric's former Grey's Anatomy co-star, Patrick Dempsey, spoke about their friendship today, in a radio interview on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show.

 “I just woke up this morning and I was very sad to read the news," he said. “It’s hard to put into words. I feel really so sad for his children.”

Kim Raver, who plays Dr. Teddy Altman, remembered the actor as a “light" in an Instagram post. “You’d see it effortlessly shine from him on the set of Grey’s as well as when he was with Rebecca and the girls,” she said. “During filming he’d get this twinkle in his eye and with a mischievous look, he would deliver with perfect comedic timing, a line of dialogue that would floor you!"

"You will be missed," Raver wrote, accompanied by a white heart emoji. "My love and thoughts go out to Rebecca [Gayheart, his ex-wife] and their girls. We love you.”