Eric Dane has revealed to PEOPLE that he has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

“I’ve been diagnosed with ALS,” the 52-year-old actor shared.“I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.”

Dane is married to actress Rebecca Gayheart. The couple are parents to two daughters: 15-year-old Billie Beatrice and 13-year-old Georgia Geraldine.

ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a serious condition that affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control. It often starts with muscle twitching, weakness, or slurred speech and gets worse over time. Eventually, it impacts the ability to move, speak, eat, and breathe. The cause is mostly unknown, and there is no cure according to the Mayo Clinic.

“I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of Euphoria next week,” he said to PEOPLE. “I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”

Dane, who plays the patriarch of the Jacobs family on HBO’s Euphoria, is scheduled to begin filming season 3 of the series on April 14. He joins a list of other well-known individuals who have been diagnosed with ALS, including Aaron Lazar, John Driskell Hopkins, Eric Stevens, Joe Bonsall, Roberta Flack, Kenneth Mitchell, and Stephen Hawking.

Eric Dane, born on November 9, 1972, in San Francisco, California, is an American actor renowned for his roles in television dramas. He began his acting career with guest appearances on series like “Saved by the Bell” and “The Wonder Years” in the early 1990s. Dane gained recognition for his recurring role as Jason Dean on “Charmed” from 2003 to 2004. ​

His breakthrough came in 2006 when he was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan, also known as “McSteamy,” on the medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy.” He portrayed this character until 2012 and made a guest appearance in 2021. Following this, Dane starred as Captain Tom Chandler in the action-drama series “The Last Ship” from 2014 to 2018. Since 2019, he has played Cal Jacobs in HBO’s “Euphoria.”

In film, Dane has appeared in “X-Men: The Last Stand” (2006) as Multiple Man, “Marley & Me” (2008), “Valentine’s Day” (2010), and “Burlesque” (2010).