Rebecca Gayheart has spoken about one of her final experiences with her late husband, Grey’s Anatomy actor Eric Dane, who died last month at age 53 after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
In an interview with Variety, Gayheart said Dane worked with AI company ElevenLabs in his final weeks to recreate his voice using recordings from his past film and television work, as the illness gradually affected his ability to speak. She said the project was important to him because he wanted to continue communicating and also hoped to leave a message for their daughters, Billie, 16, and Georgia, 14.
She said Dane was eager to hear the result, and when the recreated voice was ready, it was an emotional moment for the family. According to her, Dane became emotional after hearing it, and others present were also moved.
Gayheart said they later played the voice recording for their daughters, who reacted by saying it sounded exactly like him. She added that having the recording brought some comfort to the family as they dealt with the progression of his condition, although they did not get the opportunity to fully use the technology before his death.
She also noted that voice is an important part of identity, particularly for actors. According to the report, ElevenLabs plans to provide long-term support for people with neurological conditions that affect speech and aims to expand the service to more users.
