Eric Dane has found a new calling in his acting career amid his battle with ALS. Fresh from his moving guest-starring role on NBC's Brilliant Minds, in which he played a firefighter with ALS, Dane, 53, said in the future he will be pursuing roles that incorporate his real-life illness. According to the Mayo Clinic, ALS "is a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord," and causes loss of muscle control. Over time, people with the condition can experience muscle twitching, weakness in the arm or leg, trouble swallowing and/or slurred speech.