Shonda Rhimes reveals why Oscars snubbed Eric Dane from memorium

Shonda Rhimes, who is the creator of the highly popular series Grey’s Anatomy, has dished on why the 2026 Academy Awards did not include the late actor Eric Dane in their In Memoriam tribute.

The star, lovingly dubbed McSteamy by fans, passed away on February 19, 2026 after a battle with the fatal nervous system disease, ALS.

In a conversation with Entertainment Tonight while attending Vanity Fair's Oscar Party, the How to Get Away with Murder’s executive producer said of the now-deceased Euphoria actor’s exclusion, “Well, he’s not a movie star.”

“I feel like when the Emmys come around, he will be immortalized the way he should be, you can’t fault the Oscars for the fact they’re looking at movies, and there were so many people who are lost. Eric was unique to television and I can’t wait to see what they (Emmys) do with him,” Shonda added.

The prestigious ceremony did pay tributes to film industry icons such as Catherine O’Hara, Diane Keaton and Rob and Michele Reiner among others.

Notably, Grey’s Anatomy did pay homage to Eric by airing a one minute montage of his character s Dr. Mark Sloan’s best moments at the end of the February 26 episode of the show.

What is ALS?

ALS is a disorder of the nervous system that affects the nerve cells in brain and the spinal cord. The rare condition worsens over time and patients lose control of their muscles.

RELATED: Eric Dane’s final days explained: Cause of death revealed