‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Alum Eric Dane Doesn’t Remember His ‘Saved by the Bell’ Scene
Long before actor Eric Dane became famous for his stint as ‘McSteamy’ on Grey’s Anatomy, he got his start with a one-liner in the original Saved by the Bell. Dane, who now stars in Euphoria, is known for his chiseled good looks and easy charm—attributes that play into many of his onscreen characters.
But fans might be surprised by Dane’s not-so-McSteamy Saved by the Bell appearance, one that the actor apparently forgot about entirely.
Eric Dane as ‘McSteamy’ on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
Arriving on the scene as rival eye candy to Patrick Dempsey’s “McDreamy,” Dane plays Dr. Mark Sloan beginning in Grey’s Anatomy season 2. As the one-time best friend of Derek Shepherd (Dempsey), Sloan’s arrival at Seattle Grace Hospital is a very unwelcome one.
Derek moved to Seattle after discovering Mark was having an affair with his wife, Addison (Kate Walsh). So, when Mark suddenly appears in Seattle and makes a move on Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), all hell breaks loose.
Dane’s role was originally supposed to be a single appearance as a guest star but quickly turned into a reoccurring role in the series. As one of the longest-running characters on the show, Dane’s “McSteamy” became one of Grey’s Anatomy’s most beloved characters after repairing his friendship with Derek and falling in love with Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh).
Eric Dane guest starred on ‘Saved by the Bell’
Appearing as Dane’s first acting credit on IMDb is the ‘90s hit Saved by the Bell ran from 1989 to 1992. The series followed a group of friends through the ups and downs of high school and then college in the subsequent, Saved by the Bell: The College Years.
It also created teen stars of the cast, which included Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez, Dustin Diamond, Lark Voorhies, Tiffani Theissen (then known as Tiffani Amber Theissen), and Elizabeth Berkley. Among the series’ guest stars were Leah Remini, Tori Spelling, Scott Wolf, Dane, and more.
Appearing in season 3, episode 4, Dane plays Tad Pogue—a guy that’s after Zack Morris’ love interest, Stacey (Remini) — does this sound familiar? In the episode, the Saved by the Bell crew takes to the beach for some volleyball against Tad and his buddies, and Tad asks Stacey on a date—in a majorly not McSteamy way.
“Wanna do yourself a favor and go out with me tonight?” Dane asks Remini’s character with a smirk McSteamy’s Grey’s Anatomy fans will recognize.
The clip was shown during the actor’s interview on The Today Show in 2015, with Dane turning pink-faced with embarrassment after seeing his younger self. Asked if Dane remembers filming the scene back in 1991, Dane told Hoda Kotb, “No, but thank you for that. That was fantastic!”
Eric Dane on Euphoria and life after ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
Dane’s career-changing role as “McSteamy” in Grey’s Anatomy (and the series spinoff Private Practice) ended in 2012. Since then, Dane has appeared in several series, including The Fixer, The Last Ship, and The Ravine, as well as the feature film, Redeeming Love.
But, next to “McSteamy,” Dane is likely best known for his role on Euphoria. In the series, Dane portrays Cal Jacobs, a gay character that the Hollywood Reporter says “definitely presents Dane with a more complicated character to inhabit, though one celebrated as an icon by a new set of viewers.”
Dane has several upcoming projects as well, including one called National Anthem, in which fans will see Dane star alongside his Euphoria co-star Sydney Sweeney and Black Bird’s Paul Walter Hauser.
