Shonda Rhimes reacts to Eric Dane being excluded from 2026 Oscars 'In Memoriam'

Emlyn TravisMon, March 16, 2026 at 3:57 PM UTC

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Shonda Rhimes; Eric DaneCredit: Manny Carabel/Getty; Michael Tullberg/Getty

Shonda Rhimes is sharing her thoughts on late Grey’s Anatomy actor Eric Dane being left out of the ‘In Memoriam’ segment at the 2026 Oscars.

The series creator was asked about Dane’s ostensible snub in an interview with Entertainment Tonight after the event. "Well, he's not a movie star, you know?" Rhimes said. "And I feel like when the Emmys come around, he will be [immortalized] the way he should be."

She continued, "We can't fault the Oscars for the fact that they're looking at movies. And there were so many people who were lost, but Eric was unique to television and I can't wait to see what they do with him [at the Emmys]."

Eric Dane on 'Grey's Anatomy'Credit: ABC/RANDY HOLMES

The 2026 Primetime Emmys are scheduled for Sept. 14.Dane, best known for his role as Dr. Mark Sloan, a.k.a. McSteamy, on Grey’s, died Feb. 19 at age 53 following a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In the wake of his death, the series paid tribute to Dane on social media and incorporated a 60-second montage of him to the end of its Feb. 27 episode.

His costars, including Kate Walsh and Katherine Heigl, also honored Dane in their own social media posts.

"I will never forget Eric’s gold and I will forever be grateful I got to bask in it for even a brief moment in time,” Heigl wrote in part. “Thank you for sharing him with us. God Speed my old friend... Here’s to your next great adventure."

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2026 Oscars 'In Memoriam' tribute to Rob ReinerCredit: Kevin Winter/Getty

While speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Rhimes also took a moment to remember Dane.

"Eric is an — was an — incredible human being, and I still say 'is' because it’s very hard for me to believe he’s gone," she explained. "He was an incredible human being and he was a huge loss for us. He was a huge loss for the Shondaland family, for the Grey’s Anatomy family, and, honestly, the people that he knew."

She added, "He was just a wonderful, wonderful, giving guy [and] I don’t know that everybody understands how amazing he was."

Dane wasn’t the only actor who was noticeably absent from the 'In Memoriam' Sunday night. James Van Der Beek, Brigitte Bardot, Loni Anderson, Samantha Eggar, and Robert Carradine are just a few of the stars who were also left out of the segment.

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Dane is survived by his wife Rebecca Gayheart and their two daughters, Billie and Georgia.

on Entertainment Weekly

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