‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Fans Were Surprised – Then Horrified – to See ‘Dad Bod Sloan’ In ‘Euphoria’
Mark Sloan might have started as a villain on Grey’s Anatomy, but he sure went out as a fan-favorite. His seduction and romantic involvement with Meredith’s younger sister Lexie was what made his story arc that much juicier. Eric Dane, who played Sloan on the ABC series, left the show in 2013 to pursue other avenues, which saw his character killed off.
One of the projects the actor landed includes the cult teen show Euphoria. Although his acting is excellent, fans are focused on an entirely different aspect of the former McSteamy, his ‘dad bod’ which had some fans surprised then horrified.
Eric Dane in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
Dane joined the cast of Grey’s Anatomy in 2005, playing the wildly handsome Casanova who left women throughout Seattle Grace Hospital fawning for him. When he first appeared, he flirted with Meredith, which earned him a punch from a visibly jealous and angry Derek.
Viewers later learn that Derek and Sloan have a history outside their first meeting at Seattle Grace. They discover that the two men were once best friends who even had a practice together in New York. However, in typical fashion, Sloan had an affair with Derek’s wife Addison Montgomery, thus driving a wedge down their longtime friendship.
Derek gave up everything and moved to Seattle to start anew. Sloan soon followed and tried to convince Addison to go back to New York with him, informing her that her window of love with Derek was closed as he had feelings for Meredith. Throughout his time at Seattle Grace, Sloan was seen as a womanizer who confused every lady with his charm.
However, all this turned when Lexie came into the picture. He began developing feelings for the younger Grey sister and ended up in a will-they-won’t-they situation with her. Their love story was cut short when the doctors at Seattle Grace got into a plane crash that claimed the lives of Lexie and Sloan.
Fans had a pleasant reaction to seeing ‘dad bod’ Sloan
Dane transitioned to the dark side with his role on Euphoria. He played a married man with a secret that turns him from the McSteamy fans fell for in Grey’s Anatomy to McCreery. The actor plays Nate’s secretive father. Nate began the series as a villain as he fit the stereotype of jocks, bullying the new trans kid in town, Jules, and shamelessly gossiping about his classmates’ sexual history or lack thereof.
However, a deeper look at his family shows that Nate might be a saint compared to his father’s actions. Nate’s dad Cal met Jules on a questionable app that promotes hookups. Jules lies to him about her age, saying she’s 22 even though she is 17. They agree to meet up, and the hookup becomes an incredibly graphic and shockingly intense sex scene that involves violence and statutory rape.
Fans on Reddit were pleasantly surprised and equally horrified after seeing Dane’s “dad bod” in Euphoria. One fan posted a picture of the actor in one scene, saying, “can never see Mark the same after Euphoria.” The comment quickly gained heat as other people expressed their sentiments regarding the actor’s physical appearance. One fan even called him “McElderly,” while another said, “didn’t know I would stan dad bod Sloan, but I do,” implying that they still find Dane good looking even in his “dad bod” self.
What has Dane been up to since then?
In 2006 after joining Grey’s Anatomy, Dane starred in Wedding Wars alongside John Stamos. In 2010 he appeared in Burlesque alongside Cher and Christina Aguilera and shared the screen with his onscreen best friend Patrick Dempsey, appearing in Valentine’s Day.
Two years later, Dane appeared in the Michael Bay project The Last Ship, in which he was also credited as a producer. In 2018 he voiced himself in a Family Guy episode and appeared in Grey Lady in 2017. As of 2021, Dane is attached to several projects, including The Ravine, Into the Beautiful, and Redeeming Love.
