KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 — Actor Eric Dane has died at the age of 53, less than a year after revealing he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to the BBC.

Dane was best known for playing family patriarch Cal Jacobs on the hit HBO teen drama Euphoria. He also gained fame as Dr Mark Sloan, nicknamed ‘Dr McSteamy’, on the long-running medical drama Grey’s Anatomy.

According to the BBC, the California-born actor was diagnosed with ALS last year and had spent recent months raising awareness about the disease, the most common form of motor neurone disease (MND).

“With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed yesterday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS,” his family said in a statement.

Dane was married to actress and model Rebecca Gayheart, with whom he had two children.

The statement said he spent his final days surrounded by friends, his wife and daughters, Billie and Georgia, “who were the center of his world”.

“He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received,” it added.

Besides Euphoria and Grey’s Anatomy, Dane portrayed Jason Dean in the fantasy drama series Charmed and Captain Tom Chandler in the action drama The Last Ship. He also appeared in films including Marley & Me, Valentine’s Day and Burlesque.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a rare degenerative condition that causes progressive paralysis of the muscles.

It affects nerve cells in the brain and spine that control muscle movement, gradually robbing patients of the ability to speak, eat, walk and breathe independently.

Last summer, Dane told ABC’s Good Morning America that his diagnosis had left him “angry”.

“Because, you know, my father was taken from me when I was young,” he was quoted as saying. 

“And now, you know, there’s a very good chance I’m going to be taken from my girls while they’re very young.”

According to the BBC, Dane’s father died by suicide when he was seven years old.

Born in San Francisco in 1972, Dane made his television debut in The Wonder Years in 1993.