Despite navigating the profound challenges of his Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis, actor Eric Dane has made an emotional return to work, appearing in the highly anticipated Thanksgiving episode of the new series Brilliant Minds. Following the filming of a powerful scene, the show’s creator has revealed that Dane was met with an unprecedented, spontaneous standing ovation on set that lasted a full ten minutes.

The former Grey’s Anatomy star, best known for his role as Dr. Mark Sloan, was diagnosed with ALS—a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord—in April of this year. In a statement issued to People Magazine at the time, Dane expressed gratitude for his support system: “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.”

Since the diagnosis, the 52-year-old actor has been remarkably forthcoming about the disease, which he unflinchingly described as “nasty” in an October interview. His path back to the set has been marked by struggle; he was notably forced to cancel his planned attendance at the Grey’s Anatomy reunion during the Emmy Awards after suffering a debilitating fall that required hospitalization.

The Nine-Month Search for Answers

Appearing on Good Morning America, Dane shared the first symptoms he experienced, which initially seemed benign:

“I started experiencing some weakness in my right hand, and I didn’t really think anything of it at the time,” Eric Dane explained. “I thought maybe I had been texting too much or my hand was fatigued. But a few weeks later I noticed it had gotten a little worse, so I went and saw a hand specialist, and he sent me to another hand specialist.”