Brilliant Minds brought Eric Dane back to TV in an episode that fused performance and lived experience. The guest turn — a firefighter confronting amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — culminated in a rare “10‑minute standing ovation,” as creator Michael Grassi put it, for a scene that left the set in tears.

The scene that earned a standing ovation

Eric Dane guest stars on “Brilliant Minds” Season 2, Episode 9 (“Fire Fighter”)

Dane plays Matthew Rimati, a proud firefighter wrestling with how to tell his family about his diagnosis. Grassi called the performance “so beautiful and so honest and so real.” He added, “While [Dane’s] character’s finding bravery, there’s a lot of bravery in Eric to tell the story as well.”

Cast & creators: who appears in the episode

Eric Dane as Matthew Rima

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