In the latest episode of the ABC medical drama series Grey’s Anatomy, actor Eric Dane made a surprise appearance as Mark Sloan, aka Doctor McSteamy.
After Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) and George O’Malley (T.R. Knight) visited Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) on her personal “beach,” Sloan stopped by with his love interest, and Meredith’s sister, Lexi Grey (Chyler Leigh).
In an interview with Deadline, Dane talked about his return to the series.
“It was like I’d never left. It was a great day at the beach. It was great to see some of the familiar faces and same crew members, and we didn’t skip a beat,” he said.
"I love those people,” he added. “I spent a significant portion of my life with those people, I’d do just about anything for them.”
Dane went on to explain why Mark and Lexie were brought back to help Meredith wake up from her coma.
“Mark Sloan and Lexie Grey are embedded in the DNA of that show, and also literally, Lexie and Meredith share the same DNA,” he said. “So, I think there’s a connectivity there and reminding her that, gone but not forgotten, we’re always around if you need us, and it’s too early for you to stay on the beach.”
Dane made his first appearance in the second season of Grey’s Anatomy. After being a recurring character on the show, he became a series regular in Season 3. He remained on the series until Sloan passed away from fatal injuries brought on by a plane crash in Season 9.
“At its core, it’s just a great show. People connect with the characters on that show. It seemed to have found a whole new generation of viewership,” Dane said, referencing the show’s continuous success. “Shows typically will grow up with a generation, an audience, and eventually that audience will either outgrow that show or move onto something else.”
“But with Grey’s, there’s always been an alchemy in that cast, a dynamic, a chemistry which keeps people showing up,” he continued. “The writing’s good. Krista [Vernoff], Shonda [Rhimes], Betsy [Beers], and now Debbie Allen’s exec producing the show, They’re so good at understanding the tone of that show and finding characters that people will invest in, and what that translates to is season 17.”
Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9 PM ET/PT on ABC.