Months before his death, Eric Dane recorded a final interview with Netflix as part of their series Famous Last Words
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In the 50-minute interview, Dane directly addressed his daughters Billie and Georgia
The late actor shared four final thoughts to his daughters before his death on Thursday, Feb. 19
Months before his death,Eric Danerecorded one last interview – and it included his final words for his teenage daughters.
On Thursday, Feb. 19, theEuphoriastar died at 53, only 10 months after hewent public with his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Ahead of his death, Dane recorded his final interview with Netflix as part of their new seriesFamous Last Words. The interview was conducted in secret and only released after Dane's death.
At the end of the interview, Dane directly addressed his teenage daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, after he was left alone with the camera.
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"Billie and Georgia, these words are for you," the star began. "I tried. I stumbled sometimes, but I tried. Overall, we had a blast, didn't we?"
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Dane, who shares his daughters with ex Rebecca Gayheart, went on to remember all the times they'd spent at the beach, saying that he will forever see them playing in the water. "Those days, pun intended, pun intended were heaven," he said.
The actor said he wanted to impart four final things he'd learned from his disease on his daughters, and asked them to listen to him.
"First, live now, right now in the present. It's hard, but I learned to do that," Dane said. "For years, I would wander off mentally, lost in my head for long chunks of time, wallowing in worry and self-pity, shame and doubt. I replayed decisions, second-guessed myself. 'I shouldn't have done this. I never should've done that.' No more."
Dane said that "out of pure survival," he was forced to stay in the present. He added that the past contains regrets and the future remains unknown, so he said that the only way to move forward is to live in the present and treasure it.
"Second, fall in love. Not necessarily with a person, although I do recommend that as well. But fall in love with something," Dane said. "Find your passion, your joy. Find the thing that makes you wanna get up in the morning."
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The star told his daughters that he'd fallen in love with acting when he was his girls' age, and added that he still loved and looked forward to his work at the time. He told them to find their purpose and "really go for it."
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"Third, choose your friends wisely. Find your people and allow them to find you, and then give yourselves to them," the dad of two said. "The best of them will give back to you. No judgement. No conditions. No questions asked."
Dane said he was so thankful to his friends who had all "stepped up" for him in his illness. While he explained that he couldn't do any of the things he used to anymore — like going to the gym, driving around town and getting coffee — he was grateful to his friends for just showing up.
"Just show up. And love your friends with everything you have. Hang on to them. They will entertain you, guide you support you and some will save you," he said.
Lastly, Dane told his daughters to fight with all they had and never give up.
Rebecca Gayheart/Instagram
"Finally, fight with every ounce of your being and with dignity. When you face challenges, health or otherwise, fight," Dane said. "Never give up. Fight until your last breath. This disease is slowly taking my body, but it will never take my spirit."
Dane then told his girls that although they are different people, they'd both inherited his strength and resiliency.
"That's my superpower," Dane said of being resilient. "I bounce right up, and I keep coming back. I get up again and again and again. Mark says I'm like a cat. Except a cat has nine lives, and I'm on number 15, easily. So when something unexpected hits you, and it will, because that's life, fight and face it with honesty, integrity and grace, even if it feels or seems insurmountable."
"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," he continued, beginning to tear up. "Billie and Georgia, you are my heart. You are my everything. Good night. I love you. Those are my last words."
When he announced his ALS diagnosis with PEOPLE, Dane shared in a statement that he was "grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter."
While announcing his death, Dane's family said he died "following a courageous battle with ALS" and "spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world."
"Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight," they continued. "He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he's received. The family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time."
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