Dax Shepard has opened up about a friendship that began on a very tense note. While remembering the late Eric Dane, he shared that their first meeting at an AA group was filled with anger and almost turned into a physical fight.
At one point, Shepard admitted, “I hated him,” and made it clear just how intense their early interactions were. However, that same relationship later turned into something meaningful and deeply personal.
The Meeting That Almost Turned Into a Fight Between Dax Shepherd And Eric Dane
During a conversation with Anderson Cooper at the New Orleans Book Festival, Dax Shepard spoke about his first impression of Dane, saying, “Eric Dane, I can now say I met in recovery, and we hated each other. I hated him!”
He went on to explain that he saw Dane as a bully at the time and recalled how things escalated when Dane threatened a younger member during a meeting. Shepard said the tension had been building for a while, and he eventually challenged Dane, telling him to step outside right away because he was ready to fight.
The situation quickly became serious. Both men stepped outside, prepared to fight, before others stepped in. Shepard shared that “people intervened” and stopped the situation before it got physical. Despite that moment, both continued attending the same meetings, which slowly changed how they saw each other.
Painful Past And Shared Struggles Changed Shepard’s Perspective
Time spent in the same space allowed Shepard to hear more about Dane’s life. He shared that over the next two years, he started relating to him more as he listened to his experiences.
Shepard revealed that Dane had lost his father as a child and had been told not to cry while being told what happened. That moment stuck with him for years and greatly influenced how he handled emotions. Shepard explained that both of them grew up without fathers, and that the search for masculine validation often manifested in ways he initially disliked.
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He reflected on how those traits were something they likely saw in each other as well, which added to the early tension between them. A key moment changed everything when Shepard told Dane that one of his shares was among his favorites. Dane later responded by admitting, “‘I can’t believe I’m gonna say this, but I think I’ve come to fall in love with Dax.’ And then we became friends.”
Their connection grew stronger after that. Shepard often visited Dane’s home, and they spoke about life. Mostly, they talked about “the vacuum left when you don’t have a dad around”. But there were also talks about their struggles around identity and masculinity.
He later described how his view of Dane changed completely, saying he came to care deeply about him. “I came to fall in love with a very scared man, trying and hoping he had become a man. And I related, and I ended up loving him so much,” Shepard said.
He also spoke about Dane’s battle with ALS and admired the way he handled it. Shepard said that for someone who had always been so focused on strength and fitness, choosing to become the face of such a serious illness showed real courage. He even called it the bravest thing Dane had done.
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