Mary McDonnell was also in E/R, and would go on to be cast in ER as Eleanor Carter. The "ER" roles came during a particularly busy time for Frelich, who also appeared in episodes of "Diagnosis: Murder" and "Pacific Blue" during this period. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Benjamin's character Al Ervin was a homeless man with a terminal illness who requests the help of Dr. Mark Greene, who is himself dying of brain cancer. Test audiences responded so positively to Carol that this idea was scrapped, and so although Margulies is credited as a guest star for the first episode, she went on to become one of the shows most beloved and pivotal regular characters. On ER, when Lucy died after being attacked by a patient: NBC. There have been plenty of times when TV writers have had a grand plan for a character's arc, only for the actor playing them to die in real life. Despite the character being dead, he appeared in a flashback in the final season. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. In actuality, the actor told TV Guide that it was time for his character to go and that McCrane harbored no hard feelings. Jason Merritt/term/Getty Images. But it was ultimately left up to audiences to decide his fate. Anspaugh was cast on "ER" after co-producer Caroly Flynt saw him in an award-winning turn in "Psychopathia Sexualis" in Los Angeles. Related: ER: Why George Clooney's Ross Left The Show (& His Season 15 Cameo). Barry Humphries, the comedian best known for his character Dame Edna Everage who blossomed from an Australian suburban housewife into a self-described gigastar, died on Saturday. Played by David Krumholtz, a man with schizophrenia checked into the ER, resulting in an unnerving, bloody affair broadcast in primetime. Following the end of ER, he starred in Zero Hero, directed My Dead Boyfriend and recurred on Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. Lucy Knight is a fictional character In the NBC television series ER, portrayed by actress Kellie Martin.The character was part of the show for the fifth and sixth seasons. Producers wanted to pair Carter with medical student Lucy Knight (Kellie Martin), but Wyle (understandably) felt it would be out of character and inappropriate for Carter to date a subordinate. Just a few examples: Kirsten Dunst had a memorable six-episode stint as a teenage sex worker, Gabrielle Union played an injured basketball player, Ewan McGregor played a robber, Lucy Liu played an AIDS patients mother, Taraji P. Henson played Dr Bentons niece, and Dakota Fanning played a young leukemia patient. Marquez starred as nurse Wendy Goldman, appearing in 27 episodes of "ER" between 1994 and 1997. Having abandoned the family when Abby was a child, Eddie checks into Cook County under an assumed name in order to reconnect with his daughter. Laura Innes left midway through Season 13, in the episode "A House Divided," when a reluctant Luka Kova was forced by budget cuts to fire her character, Kerry Weaver. The productive actor amassed more than 200 credits over the course of his career, most notably in crime dramas and television movies. NBC, Greg Doherty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images) He was nominated for an Emmy - his third career nomination - for his 2009 guest stint on the show. According to the New . Among his roles was that of Ray Ross, the estranged father of Dr. Doug Ross (played by George Clooney) in three episodes of "ER," Farentino was perhaps best known for starring on the shows "The Bold Ones: The Lawyers" and "Dynasty," and for his Emmy-nominated role in the miniseries "Jesus of Nazareth". After ER, Clooney spent much of his time on the big screen in flicks such as The Perfect Storm, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Ocean's Eleven, Gravity, The Monuments Men, Hail, Caesar! Jake Nevins. Michael Michele's character, Cleo Finch, departed in the Season 8 episode "I'll Be Home For Christmas" with her boyfriend, and fellow doctor, Peter Benton, after having previously taken a job at the same hospital with set schedules (in fact it was she who arranged the interview which resulted in Benton's job offer). When Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. To make things even harder, it was later revealed that Dr. Gallant left a recorded apology for leaving his wife Neela for Iraq. It was reportedly not the first time law enforcement had been called to Marquezs apartment. The former included stints in "Grey's Anatomy" and "True Detective." Charlotte Rae was best known for her role as Edna Garrett on "The Facts of Life," which was a spin-off of "Diff'rent Strokes," where she first played the character. He made a secret cameo in season six to help Julianna Margulies leave the series and the duo returned for the final season in a one-off episode. She won an Emmy in 2000 for her final role, a guest-starring stint on "The Practice" (though she was too sick to attend the ceremony). Dr Carter got involved with plenty of co-workers throughout his time on the show, but there was one relationship that Wyle objected to. Ming-Na left in Season 11 as an attending physician when her character, Jing-Mei Chen, resigned in in order to take care of her ailing father, whom she later euthanized in the episode "Twas the Night." A year before her death, she discussed her bone cancer diagnosis and her zest for life: "I love life. Erik Palladino departed early in Season 8, in the episode ("Never Say Never") after his character, Dave Malucci, was fired for inappropriate conduct. After ER, Margulies did The Mists of Avalon, Ghost Ship, Snakes on a Plane, Canterbury's Law and The Good Wife. Character actor Mary Mara, known for her appearances on ER, Nash Bridges, and Law & Order: SVU, has died. In 1996 -- two years after appearing on "ER" -- the legend scored her first #1 album with "Rosemary Clooney's White Christmas." Sadly, she passed away on June 29, 2002, at the age of 74. The ER Dr. Greene death had a two-year buildup to his tragic passing, and he was even considered in the clear for a brief period of time, only to have audience's hopes dashed again. Since ER ended, Stringfield has popped up in several TV movies, spent time on Under the Dome and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. Character actorSam Vlahos played Pedro, a homeless man who sought care from Cook County's medical staff in eight episodes of "ER" between Seasons 4 and 9. A loyal friend to Dr. Benton (Eriq La Salle) and Dr. Carter (Noah Wyle), Dennis Grant was tragically killed in a train accident on the 1997 episode "Night Shift." Eddie Hassell was a daredevil on Bones and in real life. Scott Grimes played the largely inept Dr. Archie Morris on a recurring basis for his first two years before joining the cast officially in season 12. and the Bear") and in film ("The Artist," "Trouble With the Curve"), though he did also appear in theatre productions. Singing led to acting, and Clooney made her movie debut in 1953's "The Stars are Singing." Vanessa Marquez, a former actor on the television show ER, was shot and killed by police during a welfare check at her home in South Pasadena, California. In a huge devastation to the team and ER's season 15, Gregory Pratt had to be put on a heart bypass machine, and he showed signs of being brain-dead. In the series finale, Polcyn's character dies, with her husband (Ernest Borgnine, also on this list) by her side as she succumbs to sepsis and pulmonary edema. Julianna Margulies guest starred in the pilot as Carol Hathaway before becoming part of the regular cast. That late-inning success led to more film work, including Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln." Her tenure as Johnson ran from 2006 to 2022 and included a foray into the soap's spin-off, "General Hospital: Night Shift" from 2007 and 2008. The 61-year-old Mara's death was attributed to asphyxiation due to drowning and was ruled accidental. The series' biggest star was ER vet Ming-Na Wen, and while Clark Gregg's Phil Coulson . As the smoldering Dr. Luka Kovac, Goran Visnjic appeared as a regular cast member from season six through 13. Her character returned one more time that season in the episode "On The Beach". Mara, who retired from acting after appearing in the 2020 indie, "Break Even," was found dead in the St. Lawrence River in Cape Vincent, New York, on June 26, 2022. Maura Tierney departed in the third episode of season 15 in an episode entitled "Book of Abby" with her TV husband Luka Kovac. Sweet is a sex worker who visits the Cook County General Hospital's emergency room for a variety of reasons; the single mother of two children (one played by "Star Wars" actor Jake Lloyd), Loretta attempts to turn her life around but is thwarted by a diagnosis of terminal cervical cancer. Dying peacefully in his sleep, viewers had a chance to witness Mark in Hawaii with his daughter Rachel in his last moments. Smart data for smart city The show was created by a number of creative directors who had come together. Wyle fell sick with mono during the filming of season 1s memorably devastating "Loves Labor Lost," and was so unwell that the on-set medical technician put him on an IV, and he shot his scenes with a bag of saline in his pocket. As we celebrate the 331 hours of TV that entertained us for 15 years starting in 1994, take a look at what the iconic cast, which had more than 25 series regulars over the years, is up to now. He was 73. Both shows were part of NBCs wildly successful Thursday night lineup in the mid-'90s, and the network took advantage by having Clooney and Wyle make an appearance as doctors in the first season of Friends, in the episode where Rachel switches identities with Monica to use her health insurance. Known for her breakout role in Freaks and Geeks, Linda Cardellini joined ER in season 10 as Samantha Taggart, a nurse. Two actors whose characters died in the film died in real life during the film's post-production, and relatives of people involved in the production were hurt and killed. Marquez, 49, played nurse . Both appeared in 13 out of 15 seasons. He was one of the most creative and charismatic men I've ever known, and his gospel of positivity pulled us both up from many a dark place. Any show that runs as long as ER did is likely to have a lot of before-they-were-famous guest stars, but the future A-list quotient was exceedingly high on this show. Other roles include Game of Silence, Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams and Seven Seconds. The series featured high-profile stars, including George Clooney and Anthony Edwards, and became famous for featuring dozens of future Hollywood success stories while they were still in the early stages of their careers. Martin spent two seasons on the medical drama before her character was killed off. Feature film appearances included "Patch Adams," "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps," and "Patch Adams." His character, who constantly clashed with administration, moved to Seattle.
