Eric Dane’s memoir will be published posthumously later this year.
Eric Dane’s memoir will be published posthumously later this year
The actor, who died on 19 February aged 53, completed a manuscript shortly before his death which will now be released as My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments.
The book will be published on 3 November by The Open Field, an imprint of Penguin Random House founded by Maria Shriver.
Eric, best known for his roles in Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria, had publicly revealed 10 months before his death that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
According to his publisher, Eric continued working on the manuscript until shortly before he died.
Maria said Eric had been determined to leave a message for his family.
She added in a statement released by Penguin Random House: “He told me he wanted his family to know how much he loved them and he wanted to leave them a story they could be proud of.”
The publisher described the memoir as “a deeply personal work” reflecting on Eric’s life, including family, sobriety, fatherhood and living with terminal illness.
The release stated completing and publishing the book had been Eric’s own decision.
The statement went on: “He wanted his daughters and readers to have these words. Publishing it as planned allows him to continue speaking, in his own voice, with the clarity and courage that defined him.”
Before his death, Eric also explained why he wanted to document moments from his life.
He said: “I wake up every morning, and I’m immediately reminded that this is real – this illness, this challenge – and that’s exactly why I’m writing this book.”
Eric added: “I want to capture the moments that shaped me – the beautiful days, the hard ones, the ones I never took for granted – so that if nothing else, people who read it will remember what it means to live with heart.
“If sharing this helps someone find meaning in their own days, then my story is worth telling.”
Eric’s memoir will reflect on his early years working in Hollywood, his experiences with sobriety and the perspective he gained after being diagnosed with ALS.
An official synopsis of the autobiography states the book “captures everything from the grind of his early years in Hollywood and the hard-won peace of sobriety to the profound clarity that came with his ALS diagnosis”.
The description adds Eric uses it to reflect on the “beauty and weight” of each of his days, while looking beyond his lifetime to the “future days” that will follow after his death.
Before he died, Eric also filmed what became his final recorded interview as part of the Netflix series Famous Last Words. The interview was conducted privately and released only after his death.
At the end of the interview, Eric addressed his daughters Billie Dane, 15, and Georgia Dane, 14, directly.
Eric said: “Fight with every ounce of your being and with dignity. When you face challenges, health or otherwise, fight.
“Never give up. Fight until your last breath. This disease is slowly taking my body, but it will never take my spirit.
“I hope I’ve demonstrated that you can face anything. You can face the end of your days. You can face hell with dignity.“Fight girls, and hold your heads high.
“Billie and Georgia, you are my heart. You are my everything. Good night. I love you. Those are my last words.”
