Eric Dane

Anticipation Countdown Series-Eric Dane

Welcome to our first installment of the promised article series designed to showcase some cast and crew of the much anticipated Amazon MGM Studios series, Countdown. With a rumored release date of June 2025, these articles will give eager fans a closer look at the artists involved in bringing this show to life. First up is Eric Dane.

Eric Dane is set to play Nathan Blythe, Special Agent in Charge, who’s been with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for 22 years. Military cut, trim, fit, and packing an imposing glare, he’s seen a lot in his days on the job, and he has a passion for fighting for justice.

Let’s Get to Know Eric

For fans of Eric Dane, his success will come as no surprise. For a full account of his industry credits, click here for his IMDb profile. Doing the research for this article has been a real joy. Of all the resources I tapped into, there seems to be a consensus on what movie and television roles Dane has played that bubble to the surface as his most iconic and a true testament to his talent as an actor. Those most notably are listed below, but before we dive into that, here is a video interview done by Esquire.

Dr. Mark Sloan-Grey’s Anatomy

• Dr. Mark Everett Sloan, M.D., F.A.C.S., is a fictional character on the ABC critically-acclaimed, Golden Globe-award-winning, and Emmy-nominated television series, Grey’s Anatomy. Created by the show’s executive producer and creator Shonda Rhimes, Eric Dane’s character was introduced in Season 2 as the former best friend of Derek Shepherd.
• While “Dr. McSteamy” is a nickname that still follows Eric Dane to this day, he has a pretty good-natured acceptance of the handle and claims that while he’s never been 100% comfortable with it, it’s a name that has been good to him.
• Dane starred as Mark Sloan for six seasons on the ABC drama before being killed off in September at the start of the ninth season.

Captain Tom Chandler-The Last Ship

• This series, which premiered in 2014, sees Eric Dane in the role of Captain Tom Chandler, a career Navy man who is respected and loved by the folks under his command.
• His ship, by virtue of it’s position, is able to avoid falling victim to the devastating global pandemic that has wiped out eighty percent of the planet’s population.
• Now he must command the crew of the U.S.S. Nathan James, to find a way to pull humanity from the brink of extinction. Their mission is simple: Find a cure. Stop the virus. Save the world.
• The Last Ship was Executive Produced by Michael Bay and starred Eric Dane, Rhona Mitra and Adam Baldwin.

Mitch Bianci-The Ravine

• This movie was produced by Phillip Goldfine and Robert and Kelly Pascuzzi. The Ravine is based on the bestselling novel by Robert Pascuzzi, and directed by Keoni Waxman.
• Inspired by true events, this movie chronicles the ability of a tight-knit community to navigate the tragic events of a husband and father, Danny Turner (played by Peter Facinelli), who kills himself on the heels of murdering his wife and son. It is a deeply emotional movie that touches on themes of forgiveness, redemption, faith, grief and hope. Eric Dane turned in a stellar performance. He is on record as winning Best Actor at the 2021 Los Angeles Film Awards. The movie also won Best Ensemble (Teri Polo, Peter Facinelli, Leslie Uggams and Byron Mann).

Cal Jacobs-Euphoria

• The HBO series is written by Sam Levinson and has been characterized as compelling, graphic, triggering and at times, difficult to watch. It is focused on the world of high-school, drugs, teenage angst, addiction, sexuality, sexual identity, insecurity, family, body image and the struggles associated with young adults making sense of their futures while transitioning to adulthood.
• Dane plays the character of Cal Jacobs, well known in town for his real-estate ventures, he is Nate’s strict, demanding father who lives a double life, having secret sexual encounters involving motels, young men and trans women.
• To quote Daniel D’Addario of Variety from his article review of Euphoria, “In its new season, “Euphoria” has asserted itself as a work of startling emotional power, a wellspring of visual and narrative ingenuity that is among the very best things on television. And its most recent episode — a showcase for actor Eric Dane — suggests the unboundedness of the show’s ambition, sprawling beyond the doors of high school to make a statement about the impossibility of human connection.”
• Clearly, in a career that can boast much success, the role of Cal Jacobs is stacking up to be Eric Dane’s ongoing tour de force performance.

I could go on to list many more of Dane’s accomplishments including his recent movie appearances, such as “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” and “One Fast Move,” but it’s enough to say at this point, that it looks like Countdown is lucky to have this veteran actor on the roster. However, I will go on to share a few anecdotes I uncovered during my research.

Cowboys vs 49ers

Discovering that Eric Dane is an avid San Francisco 49ers fan, I’m left wondering if this makes for some pretty humorous behind-the-scenes teasing on the set of Countdown. We know that Jensen Ackles backs the Dallas Cowboys, and we also know that Derek Haas is from Richardson, TX (just like Jensen), so I have to wonder if he’s a Cowboys fan too. Have a listen as Eric talks with Rich Eisen and TJ Jefferson about their Fantasy Football League.

Whose Your Zaddy?

The first time I heard the term “Zaddy” it was back in 2022 while The Boys Season 3 stars Jensen Ackles (Soldier Boy), Chase Crawford (The Deep), Claudia Doumit (Victoria Neuman), and series showrunner Erik Kripke sat down with Nerdist’s Lee Travis for an interview. Here’s an excerpt from that video:

Looks like Eric is on the set of Countdown to provide a little “Zaddy” competition:

To Moustache or Not to Moustache

This final video is an excerpt from an interview done by Seth Meyers and his brother Josh Meyers on their podcast “Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers.” They immediately launch into a discussion about Eric’s moustache. Eric refers to the new show he is preparing for and given the timing of this podcast, we know he’s talking about Countdown. Have a listen.

If you can, listen to the whole Meyers podcast (Linked here). It is an absolute joy to listen to these gentlemen share elements of their lives amidst all the banter and storytelling. It was a pleasure to take it all in and in the process you will learn so much about Eric, Seth and Josh. Such a treat!

In Closing

My research into Eric Dane has been a real pleasure, and it’s obvious to anyone that he will not only be an incredible asset to Countdown but also, I’m guessing, he is fitting right in with the cast and crew. I hope they can share some BTS photos and stories with us in the coming months.

Stay tuned for the next installment in approximately three weeks when the next article will be posted in the “Anticipation Countdown Series.”

Links, Source Material and Credits

For anyone who wishes to follow the links for my source material… knock your socks off! These are listed in no particular order.

• Feature Image is a combination of two photos that include Eric Dane, Courtesy of Jensen Ackles Instagram Account Nov 2024
• Wikipedia-Mark Sloan (Grey’s Anatomy)
• Interview with Live-Kelly-and-Mark with Eric Dane
• Deadline-Eric Dane Joins ‘Countdown’ Amazon Series as ‘Euphoria’ Remains On Hold by Nellie Andreeva – June 10/24
• Flaunt Magazine – Eric Dane – Issue 193, The Gold Standard Issue – Written by Audra McClain, Photographed by Shane McCauley, Styled by Gorg Villalpando
• Deadline ‘Feral State’ and ‘The Ravine’ Release Dates… – by Patrick Hipes – Feb 5/21
• Esquire video interview with Eric Dane
• TNT YouTube Channel – The Last Ship: Eric Dane as Captain Tom Chandler
• Entertainment Weekly-TNT Orders Michael Bay show with Eric Dane
• Variety: Euphoria’s’ Eric Dane Showcase Is the Show at Its Astounding Best: TV Review
• Entertainment Weekly – Eric Dane and Jacob Elordi – Cal’s Meltdown
• Interview with Live-Kelly-and-Mark with Eric Dane
• Today with Hoda and Jenna – Eric talks Bad Boys, Euphoria and Fatherhood
• Video Interview with SiriusXM
• Entertainment Weekly-TNT Orders Michael Bay show with Eric Dane