Eric Dane’s Lasting Lesson: Cherish Your Life
“Start now.
Trust me.”
In My Book of Days, the brand-new title from The Open Field, Eric Dane underscores a truth he learned: “Don’t wait until you get the worst possible news before you decide to become your best possible person.”
That refusal to waste a second of this life defined Dane’s final years. Known for his tough-guy image on screen, he was a beloved actor, father, partner, best friend, and ever-evolving human who died earlier this year from respiratory failure caused by Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Facing his “worst possible news,” Dane turned to love and vulnerability, pouring it all onto the page. In his book, he shares some of the most intimate scenes from his wild, emotional life—days of falling in love and succumbing to anger, moments of loss and betrayal, all juxtaposed with resilience and the beauty and joy of fatherhood.
Both on the page and in our hearts, Dane is brave. With clarity, he faced the uncrossable chasm between his body, addled by disease, and his mind, awake to his numbered days.
“Hear that,” Dane writes. “Tick… tick… tick… That’s the passing of time.”
What is most beautiful is his willingness to extend empathy to himself and share that with the world.
As My Books of Days shows us, there’s no perfect way to live, just as there is no way to get back the time gone by. And no matter our circumstances, this life as we know it will end for each of us. So, until then we each have the present—and we must grab it and live it with all our hearts.
Dane set out to show us this—and he succeeded.
My Book of Days is officially out today. You can order it, and read an exclusive excerpt below.
Read the Exclusive Excerpt Here
Don’t miss Maria’s interview with Eric’s wife, Rebecca Gayheart, on TODAY!
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