After spending years of his acting career playing one of the most beloved characters on television, Eric Dane's career took a huge turn when he accepted his role on Euphoria. Eric Dane currently plays the role of Cal Jacobs on the hit HBO drama. Before that, he was primarily known for his role as Dr. Mark Sloan on ABC's hit medical drama, Grey's Anatomy. The two characters could not be more opposite.
Eric Dane was on Grey's for over seven seasons until he left the show in 2012. After starring on the TNT drama, The Last Ship for several years, Dane made his way over to HBO Max. This role is not something fans are used to seeing Eric Dane play. There is tons of full-frontal nudity and several explicit sex scenes, which differs a lot from his previous work. Nonetheless, fans are willing to attempt to compartmentalize the wonderful fictional doctor from the controlling predator he plays on Euphoria.
6 What Kind Of Character Is Cal Jacobs?
Cal Jacobs is a strict and controlling parent to his son Nate and is having affairs with multiple young men and women. This secret life that Mr. Jacobs is living is exposed during season one after Nate realizes his dad has hooked up with one of his classmates. Jacobs drilled the idea of toxic masculinity into his son when he was just eleven years old. He also put Nate on a very strict diet and fitness regimen so that he would become the "idealistic man." When Nate was just a little boy, he found a sex tape of his father having sex with various men and women. He buried this secret and that made him become violent and confused in his adult relationships. Cal Jacobs destroyed his son's ability to be vulnerable and form organic, healthy relationships.
5 Who Is Dr. Mark Sloan From 'Grey's Anatomy'?
On the other hand, Dr. Mark Sloan was a respected doctor and Head of Plastic Surgery at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. Sloan died in the first episode of season nine after the explosive season eight finale, otherwise known as the plane crash episode. He died along with his on-screen romance Lexie Grey. After their death, the hospital was renamed after them as "Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital" since they were the two fatal casualties from the plane crash. This goes down as one of the saddest deaths in television history and one of the saddest moments in Grey's Anatomy's long history. Fans to this day still talk about Dr. McSteamy in all his glory. His name still comes up on Grey's Anatomy and his legacy is not forgotten. Luckily for fans, Eric Dane appeared in season seventeen of the series during one of Meredith Grey's COVID-19 fever dreams. He and Lexie shared the screen for the first time in eight years on a mystical beach in the afterlife. Grey's fans finally got the Mark and Lexie ending they were hoping for!
4 Why Did Eric Dane Leave 'Grey's Anatomy'?
Dane left Grey's Anatomy to seek out different movie and television ventures. Once Eric Dane landed the role of Captain Tom Chandler in the post-apocalyptic drama The Last Ship, it was time to hang his scrubs. Eric Dane loved the show along with everybody on it, but he didn't want to regret passing up this role. After five glorious seasons, The Last Ship sailed away for good in 2018. Since then, Eric Dane landed the role of Cal Jacobs on Euphoria in 2019.
3 Similarities Between Mark Sloan And Cal Jacobs?
Since Sloan was a promiscuous womanizer in his day, there is an obvious comparison that can be made between the two characters. Dane reveals, "The common denominator is that I'm naked," he tells Glamour. "But it's a lot deeper than that. With Mark Sloan, it was absolutely more of an aesthetic, and with Cal Jacobs, it's more [that] Cal wants to control and dominate." Both roles also are played by the one and only... Eric Dane!
2 Why Did Eric Dane Want To Play Cal Jacobs?
Dane explains what made him want to play Cal in the first place stating, "I understand what it's like to lead a double life," he says. "To have secrets and to have to live keeping those secrets from people. I've certainly had my struggles with alcoholism, drug addiction, mental health, and I know what it's like to have to put up a facade and have an external experience not match the internal experience. I felt like that was my strongest asset in trying to articulate what the guy's going through."
1 'Euphoria's' Future
Since Eric Dane's character on Grey's Anatomy is no more, it's safe to say that his characer on Euphoria isn't going anywhere. The season two premiere of Euphoria brought in 2.4 million viewers across all platforms on Sunday, January 9. This stat is the strongest digital premiere performance of any HBO episode on HBO Max since the streaming service first launched. The drama hasn't been renewed yet for a third season, but it's very likely that it will be. It is also highly likely that Eric Dane will still be terrorizing the kids of East Highland come season three.
