Skip Nav

Who Does Eric Dane Play on Euphoria?

Eric Dane's Role on Euphoria Is a Huge Departure From His McSteamy Days

Spoilers for the first episode of HBO's Euphoria ahead!

It's hard to believe, but it's been almost seven years since actor Eric Dane last played the iconic Dr. Mark Sloan on Grey's Anatomy. He's now back as the ultra-skeevy Cal Jacobs on HBO's Euphoria. That's right: McSteamy just became McCreepy.

In the new series, Dane plays Cal Jacobs, the secretive father of angry jock Nate. Nate doesn't come across as very likable in the pilot episode, harassing new-in-town trans teen Jules and crassly gossiping about the sexual histories of his classmates. But, as it turns out, he's not the worst person in his family. At one point in the episode, Cal meets Jules on a very questionable hookup app, and she tells him she's 22, although she's actually only 17. Their in-person encounter turns into an incredibly graphic, shockingly rough sex scene that's disturbing for its violence as well as for the fact that it's a scene of statutory rape.

Dane — who, in cooperation with the creative team, used a prosthetic for the violent sexual scene — told Entertainment Weekly that he was intrigued by the idea of playing against type.

"I just got tired of playing characters that appear to be the right fit," he said. "[Creator] Sam [Levinson] is such a strong writer. He's got such a unique and articulate vision. I felt like if I were going to play a role like this, then I was in really good hands."

Dane also assures viewers that more information about Cal and how he plays into the dark, intense plotlines of the series will come to light over the next few episodes.

"It absolutely evolves. After the first four episodes, you get a pretty good idea of where Cal sits in the big picture." Only time will tell what becomes of his character.

Image Source: HBO
Latest Entertainment