The late Eric Dane is still fighting alongside I AM ALS, the largest patient-led ALS advocacy movement, to fight for a cure to ALS even after his death.
The actor posthumously appeared in a national public service announcement launched by the organization on Monday, honoring the advocacy work of the late actor. The campaign video, which also honors ALS Awareness Month, features co-stars and creative talent from Dane’s most well-known projects — including Grey’s Anatomy, Euphoria, Charmed, and Brilliant Minds — delivering a collective call for action, awareness, and hope.
“There’s so much more to learn, more to do, and we have to do it now,” said Dane, in the I AM ALS public service announcement, who became a prominent ambassador for the org during his battle with ALS.
The star-studded campaign video features appearances from Sterling K. Brown, Sharon Stone, Nina Dobrev, Alyssa Milano, John Stamos, Tamron Hall, Shonda Rhimes, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, Krista Vernoff, Zachary Quinto, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr., Caterina Scorsone, John Driskell Hopkins, Jessica Szohr, Brooke Eby, and Michael Grassi.
In the powerful PSA, clips of the stars are stitched together to emphasize their call-to-action: “ALS won’t wait, and neither will we.” The actors urge viewers to volunteer, take action, donate, and advocate in their local communities.
The video ends with an aspirational message: “Join us as we turn hope into progress. Get in, we’re ending ALS.”
“This campaign is about far more than awareness. It’s about urgency, humanity, and action,” Andrea Goodman, CEO of I AM ALS, said in a statement. “Through powerful, heartfelt celebrity voices and the deeply personal story shared in our documentary short with our friend and fearless advocate Eric Dane, we hope to illuminate the devastating realities of ALS while reminding every living individual with the disease that they are not alone.”
She added, “Every story told, every connection made, and every action brings us closer to better, faster treatments, greater support for families, and ultimately, a cure.”
The nonprofit also released Ring Every Bell: Eric Dane’s Final Act with I AM ALS, a documentary short chronicling Dane’s final advocacy efforts alongside I AM ALS co-founders Brian Wallach, who has been living with ALS for more than eight years, his wife and caregiver, Sandra Abrevaya; I AM ALS Board Member and ALS patient and advocate leader Dan Tate, Jr., and the inspiring ALS community, available to watch now on YouTube.
The PSA and documentary short were produced by the nonprofit in collaboration with filmmaker Christopher Burke, who garnered acclaim for his 2022 award-winning feature, For Love & Life: No Ordinary Campaign, which captured the powerful origin story of I AM ALS and its co-founders.
The film also features an original song from singer-songwriter Angie K and appearances by Representative Steve Scalise (Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, Louisiana), Congressman Brett Guthrie (Kentucky), Senator Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Senator Chris Coons (Delaware), Senator Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin), Representative Frank Pallone Jr. (New Jersey), Congressman Morgan Griffith (Virginia) and Congressman Ken Calvert (California).
“From the moment we began documenting Eric’s journey, it was clear this film had the potential to connect with people on a profoundly human level,” Burke shared in a statement. “Eric’s honesty, resilience, and vulnerability gave us an opportunity to create something that goes far beyond raising awareness — it captures the emotional reality that ALS patients and their caregivers are facing every day.”
He added, “Eric’s encouragement to finish the film meant everything to us, and we are honored to celebrate his legacy and his contribution. My hope is that these stories inspire empathy, spark conversation, and most importantly, drive meaningful support of I AM ALS’ critical mission to end ALS.”
In Ring Every Bell, Dane recalled his partnership with I AM ALS, saying, “When I went public, I was immediately connected with Brian [Wallach] and Sandra [Abrevaya] and they were very generous with their time in jumping on the phone with me and telling me what their organization stands for and what they’ve done. And I was immediately comforted in knowing that this place was going to be a needle-mover.”