Eric 'McSteamy' Dane Heats Up Grey's Anatomy

By Lisa Ingrassia

Originally posted Sunday October 22, 2006 10:10 AM EDT

Happy with nickname: Eric Dane Photo by: LANCE STAEDLER

Paging Patrick Dempsey: The competition for sexiest doc alive just got . . . McSteamy! Once a construction worker, Eric Dane joins Grey's Anatomy as surgeon Mark Sloane. The 33-year-old actor took a break from the OR – and revealing shower scenes – to give prescriptions for love, home cooking and washboard abs to PEOPLE's Lisa Ingrassia.

Okay, McDreamy vs. McSteamy – who wins the hotness contest?
I don't feel any competition with Patrick. But he keeps asking me when my calendar is coming out.

Besides the six-pack abs, how are you similar to McSteamy?
We both shower daily! There are a lot of things in common, but just so your mind doesn't go in the wrong direction, it's not the infidelity and deceitful, backstabbing side of him.

How do you maintain those abs?
Weightlifting – it gets the aggression out. No yoga! I'm competitive and you can't score points in yoga.

Unlike McSteamy and Addison, you seem very grounded with your wife, actress Rebecca Gayheart.
(Life with her) has been wonderful. On a whim, we ran to Vegas and got married (in Oct. ’04). We'd been together nine months and we just knew.

What's your ideal Sunday?
Sleep in – for me, that’s about 9:15 – make coffee, quiet my head, make an omelette for my girl and play music. I make a hell of an omelette. And I make great chicken soup too!