Eric Dane as Dr. Mark Sloan
Dr. Mark Sloan is an attending at Seattle Grace Hospital and a top-tier plastic surgeon. His affair with
Addison Forbes Montgomery led to her divorce from his former best friend
Derek Shepherd. Meredith Grey and the other interns refer to him as "McSteamy" because of his rough good looks.
The origin of Mark’s relationship with Derek can be traced back to when they were young boys growing up in New York City. Unlike Derek, Mark came from a wealthy family, but because his immediate relatives were not emotionally available, Mark spent most of his time with the Shepherds, who in turn treated Mark as if he was one of their own. When Derek married his college sweetheart, Addison, Mark served as the best man. Unfortunately, when Derek caught Mark in an adulterous act with Addison, the many years that their friendship withstood were not enough for Mark to earn Derek’s forgiveness.
When Derek left for Seattle, Mark shared a home with Addison, but ended up cheating on her after two months. Like Seattle Grace intern
Dr. Cristina Yang, Mark finds it difficult to commit to one person, and as a result, has lived most of his life as a womanizer and as a lover to a number of married women. When Mark went to Seattle Grace upon Addison’s request (she made the call in a drunken stupor), he immediately made a move on intern
Dr. Meredith Grey, who happened to be Derek’s on-and-off girlfriend. As expected, his presence brought back angry memories for Derek, and as a result, Mark received a big punch in the face.
Because of his irresistible charm and obvious intelligence, Mark became very popular among the interns and with resident
Dr. Callie Torres. Mark and Callie shared an intimate yet brief relationship after Callie broke up with
Dr. George O’ Malley. However, it became clear eventually that Mark was still very much in love with Addison, and in the aim of proving his sincerity and loyalty, has agreed to abstain from sex for 60 days.
Having decided to stay at Seattle Grace as part of the hospital’s plastics programs, Mark has also attempted to mend his relationship with Derek. When Meredith almost died after falling into an icy lake, Mark offered his support to Derek, who in turn accepted it with much longing and unspoken gratefulness.
(Photo courtesy of ABC)