Eric Dane made a guest appearance on Monday night's episode of the Zachary Quinto-led medical drama Brilliant Minds, portraying a firefighter diagnosed with ALS—a condition he himself has been diagnosed with. In the episode, Dane plays Matthew, a character struggling to inform his family of his diagnosis and later accepting their help as the disease progresses. The episode unfolds against the backdrop of Thanksgiving, offering a poignant commentary on the holiday's traditional cheer and the realities of living with a life-altering illness.
Michael Grassi, the show's creator and showrunner, emphasized over a call that the episode aimed to honor Dane's experience and be truthful about the disease without sensationalizing it. "We really wanted to honor Eric and step up and do this for him," Grassi said, noting that the cast, crew, and writers all "stepped up in such a beautiful way."
The episode opens with a recurring dream of Dane's character Matthew, a firefighter caught in his home as it burns down while he's unable to move from his seat. His family calls for help, and this dream becomes a recurring motif throughout the episode, symbolizing the struggle to accept the reality of his condition.
As Matthew sees Dr. Oliver Wolf (Quinto), he's told that "things are moving faster than we hoped." Wolf suggests a sleep apnea machine and that his family needs to know about his diagnosis. However, Dane's character resists both suggestions, adding an emotional layer to the story.
Grassi described the day-to-day on set as "incredible," collaborative, emotional, and joyful at times. He also noted that having Dane in the show will be an experience that will have an impact on him for the rest of his life. "When we would call cut, it was really nice to see Eric connect with the cast and the crew. Everyone's such a huge fan," Grassi said.
The episode also features a heartfelt conversation between Matthew's ex-wife (played by guest star Mädchen Amick) and his daughter, who explain that ALS is a progressive disease but that there are thousands of researchers working on treatments that may be on the horizon. Grassi emphasized the importance of getting the language right when discussing a disease like ALS, where there is currently no cure but people are working very hard to find one.
Throughout the episode, Dane's character Matthew is haunted by the dream. In recalling it, Quinto's Wolf convinces Matthew that he should use the sleep apnea machine before declaring that the dream is actually about Matthew's family saving him, not the other way around. Dane's character ends the episode by recounting his feelings in VO—a voice-making app used by ALS patients to help their voice sound more like themselves when they lose their ability to speak. Grassi described Dane's performance as "raw," "vulnerable," and "moving," and said that it was so beautiful that the crew stood up and clapped him out that day for about 10 minutes.
