Alexander Billings, a trans activist, remembers Eric Dane, his co-star on Grey’s Anatomy, where he guest-starred in season three.
In a video on Instagram, she recalled that her character was in transition and suffering from a breast cancer diagnosis.
“I got the role on Grey’s Anatomy, which was shocking to me. I hadn’t done much television and I was floored. This was 2006,” she said.
“Now, 20 years ago, the landscape for transgender artists in Hollywood was the Sahara; it didn’t exist,” Billings said, adding, “Did a transgender person write this?” Because the character was so honest and so true.”
During the recordings, the actress says that she had a monologue, but was “terrified” and “nervous”. In the midst of this, Eric, who supported Dr. Mark Sloan played, her completely.
“I meet Eric, who is nice, and we do our first scene together,” the activist noted, adding, “The first scene is Eric and my character, Donna, explaining to Ellen [Pompeo]and he makes me a little wrong, and we have a great little back-and-forth scene.” We do it a few times, and the director says, ‘Cut.’
Billings faced challenges in the scene and remembers Dane approaching her and asking about his real-life experiences transitioning in the 1980s, when support for transgender people was low.
After the story everything changed.
“We start the scene again, and as we’re talking, Eric puts his hand on my shoulder, and then we do another take, and Eric puts his hand right on my thigh or my knee,” Billings recalls of Dane’s behavior changing in the scene.
“And then at the end of the scene, he takes my hand – this isn’t in the script – he holds my hand, and I put my hand on his.”
Billings shared that while these gestures may sound a bit off, it changed everything for her at the time.
“I know how mundane this sounds, but at the time it changed everything for me. This compassionate, kind, courageous human being changed everything for me.”
Dane passed away on February 20 after suffering from ALS. He was 53.
