by Mychal ThompsonBuzzFeedBuzzFeed StaffIf you must know, I based my entire personality on Seasons 2-5 of "Girls," and I'm a huge gamer. Eric Dane is going viral for his incredibly poignant message to his daughters, and his life with ALS. Frazer Harrison / Getty Images Eric, known for his roles on Charmed, Grey's Anatomy, and Euphoria, among many other projects in film and television, died on Thursday at the age of 53 from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), sometimes known as Lou Gehrig's disease, less than a year after he announced his diagnosis. The Washington Post / Getty Images Shortly after his passing, Netflix released a new episode of its Famous Last Words series, featuring interviews with notable figures recorded before their deaths. The series previously featured an interview with Jane Goodall, who died on October 3, 2025. Netflix In the episode, Eric candidly discussed his life and career and shared a series of final words specifically for his now-teenage daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, whom he shares with actor Rebecca Gayheart. For the girls' mother, he said, "I will never, by the time anybody sees this, have fallen in love with another woman as deeply as I fell in love with Rebecca." Variety / Penske Media via Getty Images For their daughters, he started, "Billie and Georgia, these words are for you. I tried. I stumbled sometimes, but I tried. Overall, we had a blast, didn't we?" Axelle / Getty Images He began to reminisce about their time together as a family at various beaches in Santa Monica, Hawaii, and Mexico. "I see you playing in the ocean for hours, my water babies. Those days, pun intended, were heaven," he said. "I want to tell you four things I've learned from this disease, and I hope you don't just listen to me. I hope you'll hear me." Netflix The first thing Eric shared was to "live now," acknowledging that it's difficult to do so. "For years, I have been wandering around mentally and lost in my head for long chunks of time, wallowing and worrying in self-pity, shame, and doubt," he said. "No more. Out of pure survival, I am forced to stay in the present. But I don't want to be anywhere else. The past contains regrets. The future remains unknown. So you have to live now. The present is all you have. Treasure it. Cherish every moment." Gilbert Flores / Getty Images The second thing Eric shared was to "fall in love," with the understanding that you don't have to reserve that love only for people. It can be a passion, something that gets you up in the morning, or, in Eric's case, acting. "I fell in love with acting. That love eventually got me through my darkest hours, my darkest days, my darkest year," he said, confessing that he's still in love with his work, but it doesn't define him; it excites him. "Find something that excites you. Find your path, your purpose, your dream. Then go for it. Really go for it," he said. Axelle / Getty Images The third thing Eric shared was to "choose your friends wisely," and his final lesson to his daughters was to "fight with every ounce of your being, and with dignity. When you face challenges, health or otherwise, fight. Never give up. Fight until your last breath. This disease is slowly taking my body, but it will never take my spirit." Netflix Eric, who agreed to the interview with the understanding that Netflix would share it with the world after his death, also used the conversation to highlight the problem with the advancement of ALS research. When the host, Brad Falchuk (co-creator of Glee, American Horror Story, Pose), asked if the US government could be doing more to help, here's what Eric had to say: Netflix "It's kind of silly. Apparently, from what I gather, the research is fueled by money. And it's just a money problem," Eric began. "If they had unlimited funds and research, we would find a solution to this pretty quick. There's only 31,000 people with ALS in this country. There's 340 million people in the United States of America. I think it's hard to understand the concept of a single life, and how big that single life can be, and how many people it affects... when you're an executive looking at numbers." Netflix The interview is quickly going viral, with many praising Eric's truthfulness and bravery. "So much bravery in a time of vulnerability. RIP Eric Dane," one person commented alongside a YouTube clip of the episode, as another person wrote, "What a sweet message he wanted to be shared after his passing. It was his desire." On X, others shared their thoughts, one person writing, "there's something powerful about choosing dignity as your final lesson to your children. that kind of strength doesn't fade, it echoes." @AceDailyX / Via x.com "His message is bigger than goodbye. it's about how to live, even in the hardest moments," another person wrote. @theonlymikko / Via x.com "This is beyond moving. His words remind us all that dignity and courage matter, even in the toughest moments," someone else shared. @ScoopSnax / V