She remained active on television throughout the 2000s with guest roles on "The West Wing," "Monk," and "Star Trek: Enterprise," and closed the decade with multiple appearances on "Dexter" as informant Valerie Hodges, "Ray Donovan" as the ill-fated wife of James Woods' Patrick Sullivan and "Lost" as Ben's assistant, Jill. Although several doctors died on the show, ER featured a great number of memorable actors who live on in TV fandom forever. ER has no shortage of tear-jerking character deaths. The popularity of the NBC series led to more film and TV opportunities, including roles in "Armageddon" and "Thirteen Days" and guest roles in "The X-Files," "3rd Rock from the Sun," "The Practice," and a recurring role as Democratic National Committee chair Barry Goodwin in "The West Wing.". To make things even harder, it was later revealed that Dr. Gallant left a recorded apology for leaving his wife Neela for Iraq. 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. Lucy Knight met a gruesome end over the course of a two-part event in 2000, with the episodes "Be Still My Heart" and "All in the Family." Richards had a previous Emmy for a guest appearance on "Frank's Place" in 1988. His commercial output included well-rememberedspots for Mattel's Intellivision system in the 1980s. Mary McDonnell was also in E/R, and would go on to be cast in ER as Eleanor Carter. She departed again in the Season 12 premiere, "Canon City." The show was created by a number of creative directors who had come together. Entertainment Television, LLC A Division of NBCUniversal. 16K views, 545 likes, 471 loves, 3K comments, 251 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from EWTN: Starting at 8 a.m. 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. There are several other subtle Friends easter eggs buried through the show; David Schwimmer plays a doctor in the season three premiere, though his face is never seen, and Dr Greenes daughters name is Rachel Greeneone letter away from the Friends character Rachel Green. That episode partnered her with actress Marlee Matlin, who won the Oscar for her performance in the film version of "Children of a Lesser God." Born Sonteron Vhalos to Greek and Mexican parents in San Diego, California, Vhalos became an actor after serving in the U.S. Air Force during the 1950s. He was 73. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. West left the show at the end of season 13 after his character lost both of his legs, but returned for a multi-episode arc in season 15. Women who dont play the game lose career. He is also known for starring on the television show "McHale's Navy," for parts in movies such as "The Wild Bunch," and for voicing Mermaid Man on "SpongeBob SquarePants." One very significant change, though, was in casting, because Crichtons script centered on five white, male doctors, so Dr Lewis became a woman and Dr Benton became a black man. Kellie Martin, who played medical student Lucy Knight, left the series midway through Season 6 in the episode "All In The Family," when her character was killed by a patient suffering from undiagnosed schizophrenia; his psychotic break occurred before a backed-up psychiatry department could arrive in the ER for a consult. TV Show Dramas. Rae received two Tony nominations in the 1960s - one for Best Featured actress in "Pickwick" and one for Best Actress in "Morning, Noon and Night." By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. After speaking with an LA county mental health clinician and officers for 90 minutes, she became very uncooperative. Here are all the doctors who died on ER. Gloria Reuben departed early in Season 6, in the episode "The Peace of Wild Things," when her character, Jeanie Boulet, decided to become a stay-at-home mom and care for her newly adopted HIV-positive baby. I did., Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. He returned to TV with Hulu's Catch-22 series. 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). Stage and television actressMary Mara played the recurring role of Loretta Sweet in nine episodes of "ER" during Season 2. Another World: Both Douglass Watson and Constance Ford died in real life and then their characters died on screen. She returned to TV in the short-lived Prime Suspect, Touch andNCIS. In celebration of the shows new lease of life, here are 25 things you never knew about ER. We didn't do what lots of other franchises did, where you did a whole new version ER Toledo or ER Boston we just kept rejuvenating ER Chicago with new and interesting people. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images. Clooney is perhaps best known as a singer, starting off in bands before making her first solo record in 1946. The addition of the basketball hoop outside the ambulance bay at County General ended up creating a key new location for the show, but originally, George Clooney had the idea simply because he liked to shoot a few hoops to unwind between takes. Vlahos also closed his career playing Pablo; his final appearance in Season 9's "The Advocate" was also his last screen role prior to his death in 2011. angelinasarov97. Chief among these was the death of his son from cancer in Season 4 and his support for Carter's decision to move into emergency medicine. Over the years, the cast came and went in a variety of ways, from happy departures to tragic deaths, but ER endured. According to PBSs Pioneers of Television, he started doing this while shooting ER and movies at the same time, in order to deal with the workload. According to Crichton's website, "ER" was originally written in 1974, with the intent of making a documentary-style movie about the inner workings of an emergency room. Innes Dr Weaver first appeared in season 2, and remained as a regular until midway through season 13, then returned for a handful of season 15 episodes. After bracing for a battle to keep her position, and in spite of the fact that Kova realized he must find a way to keep her on staff, Weaver ultimately decided to resign from County and accept a job offer from a television station in Miami, Florida. Revered actor Miguel Ferrer, known for his roles in movies like Robocop and series like Twin Peaks, died in 2017. Television was changed 25 years ago. Sonya Eddy played more than her share of nurses over the course of her screen career. Aside from "ER," Spielberg's other noteworthy television roles include parts in "Wiseguy," "Jessica Novak," "The Practice," "Falcon Crest," and "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice." During Season 12, Wyle returned as Carter and made guest appearances in four episodes: "Quintessence of Dust," "Darfur," "No Place to Hide," and "There Are No Angels Here". Bilko." By ER season 3, the stakes were higher and notable characters were not safe from the ax. Since ER ended, her other TV roles include Alcatraz, Psych, The Blacklist, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. She was 80 years old. Back in 1995, actor David Spielberg played Dr. Neil Bernstein in four episodes of "ER." Lauter referred to himself as a character actor and discussed his position in Hollywood with mixed feelings. His character, Gregory Pratt, died in the ER as the result of blast injuries suffered in an ambulance explosion in the final episode of Season 14. Jake Nevins. 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. The first time was in the Season 10 episode "Where There's Smoke," when his character, Michael Gallant, revealed that the Army was sending him to Iraq. Please say a prayer for him and hold a living thought for his family today.". Many of the doctors in ER die during the 15 seasons of the NBC medical drama. This was the second time her character left County General; in Season 1, medical student "Deb" Chen recurred in an eight episode story arc which concluded with her leaving medical school after deciding she was better suited to research than to applied medicine. Her family filed a wrongful death suit, and they were awarded $450,000 in a settlement with the city. He had an arc on Justified, as well as NCIS: Los Angeles. Shane West left at the end of the 13th season after his character, Ray Barnett lost both his legs and returned to Baton Rouge with his mother to recuperate. Healso appeared on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, NCIS: Los Angeles, Six and Suits. Actor Eddie Hassell appeared in Season 6's grisly "The Daredevil in the Mold" as a BMX rider and friend of . Lt Joe Mendoza of the Los Angeles county sheriffs department told reporters Friday that officers arrived at the 1100 block of Fremont Avenue on Thursday morning, after a call from Marquezs landlord. The cast remained largely unchanged until Season Five, when Kellie Martin joined the cast as medical student Lucy Knight and George Clooney became the first major departure. First, she was related to that other Clooney, George (she was his aunt). 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. Ever notice that Doug Ross spent a lot of time looking downat patients in their hospital beds, at clipboardsor hanging his head? Her other TV roles include Eureka, Two and a Half Men, SGU Stargate Universe, Fresh Off the Boat and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Marvel TV series. Eriq La Salle's character, Peter Benton, departed in the Season 8 episode "I'll Be Home For Christmas". It was just one more nomination for the acclaimed comedian and actor. He stayed with the show through the end. "ER" rocked the television landscape with its raw, vivid portrayal of the emergency room at the fictional County General Hospital. In particular, Spielberg was prolific with appearances on the small screen. Notably, Dennis Gant (future House star Omar Epps) was the young surgical intern introduced in season 3 that gave ER its first tragic character death. Though its not a real crossoverER is set in Chicago while Friends is in New Yorkit was a nice tidbit for fans of both shows. He joined full time in season 13 and stayed through the end. Both actors returned for the series finale. But La Salle asked producers to end the relationship because he was uneasy with the fact that Bentons romance with Corday, a white woman, was depicted so much more positively than his previous relationships with two black women in the show (Gloria Reubens Jeanie and Lisa Nicole Carsons Carla). More performers on this show have received Emmy nominationsacross the lead, supporting, and guest actor categoriesthan for any other series. One thus supposes a death of old age or disease. By Marlene Lenthang and Diana Dasrath. The news of Ward's death at the age of 79 on May 8, 2022 was met with tributes by peers, co-stars, and fans. Feature film appearances included "Patch Adams," "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps," and "Patch Adams." Marquez, who appeared in the films Stand and Deliver and Twenty Bucks, was in the news last year after claiming on Twitter that ER co-star George Clooney played a part in blacklisting her from the industry after she and other ER cast members complained of sexism and racism on the set of the show. The original cast consisted of Anthony Edwards as Dr. Mark Greene, George Clooney as Dr. Doug Ross, Sherry Stringfield as Dr. Susan Lewis, Noah Wyle as John Carter, and Eriq La Salle as Dr. Peter Benton. By the end of Season 8, only two members of the original cast, Noah Wyle & Sherry Stringfield, remained. News spoke with Stringfield when ER made its streaming debut on Hulu. Following the end of ER, he starred in Zero Hero, directed My Dead Boyfriend and recurred on Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. Noah Wyle, Julianna Margulies, Eriq La Salle, George Clooney and More. 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". Buttons was also nominated for two other Golden Globes, for the films "Harlow" and "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" Then, in 1973, he died of cancer at 74 years old. Canadian actor Robert Cormier, who appeared in the drama "Heartland" has died at age 33. The procedural drama grew a dedicated fanbase throughout its fifteen-year run. Michael Michele's Dr. Cleo Finch only appeared from seasons six through eight. David Lyons joined the cast as Dr. Simon Brenner in season 14 and was upped to series regular for the 15th and final season. She and George Clooney are returning for one last episode of ER's 15th and final season. Holbrook's extensive and celebrated screen career included the feature films ""All the President's Men," "The Fog," and "Wall Street," while TV assignments included a series regular role in "Evening Shade" and guest turns in "The West Wing," and "The Sopranos.". 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. After ER, West had series regular roles on Nikita and Salem and is in the fifth and final season of Gotham. In addition to "ER" and "Not Another Teen Movie," Polcyn's other acting credits include minor parts in "Date Movie" and "All About Steve." The traumas, the dramas for over 15 seasons, ER took us right into County Central Hospital's heart of chaos to follow the rollercoaster ride of a day in the emergency room. All rights reserved. Additionally, Richards was a staple of the small screen, appearing on programs such as "The Bill Cosby Show," "Beauty and the Beast," and "227." Just like every great show that has millions of viewership, fans got attached to characters in the show even though one major rule about watching Game of Thrones was "Do not get attached to any character". The statement continued, "He was extremely proud of his . The main cast was augmented by a wealth of recurring characters and award-winning guest stars. NBC, Greg Doherty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images) However, she returned as a series regular in season eight and stayed for a few years before leaving once again, only to return in the final season as a special guest star. As super fanatic of The Simpsons, plus Batman and TMNT, Max looks forward to writing on superheroes topics of the '20s. However, despite the fact ER has seen a fair few doctors pass on under less-than-wholesome circumstances, Dr. Greene's death is by far the most memorable and the saddest. On ER, when Lucy died after being attacked by a patient: NBC. 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. She was 90 years old, and her cause of death was never made public. However, the most memorable part of Dr. Greene is the blissful way he passed away. He died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 76 on September 25, 2003. An episode in which a baby has a coat hanger stuck in its throat was inspired by a real incident, but in the show the baby was much more severely injured and needed a tracheotomyin real life, the doctors were able to simply remove the coat hanger. Over 15 years, ER was nominated for 124 Emmys, winning 22. Aside from his acting, Farentino was also notorious for a troubled personal life. Then, Mendoza said, she brandished a gun at the officers. Erik Palladino's Dr. Dave Malucci also only lasted for two seasons on ER. Heath Freeman as serial killer Howard Epps in "Bones.". She became such a central figure she was offered more than $20 million to stick aroundbut she exited the series at the end of season six with a surprise appearance by Clooney. Bjorn Ironside was the son of Ragnar and Lagertha. Never out of work for long, Strange found a home during his last 11 years playing Sam Noonan, the bartender on TV's Gunsmoke, a show which ran an astonishing 20 seasons. NBC, Read what she had to say about the show's legacy here. Eventually, he was able to transition to drama, even winning an Oscar and Golden Globe for his role in the 1957 film "Sayonara." When "ER" closed its doors in 2008, Aylward remained busy with guest roles in "Madmen" and "Yellowstone" as a local preacher, Father Bob. 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. ", Thompson died on January 7, 2021, at age 55. Over her four-decade career, Richards starred in many acclaimed films, including "Beloved" and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" Dr. Greg Pratt (Mekhi Phifer from Dawn of the Dead) died from severe injuries he sustained during an ambulance explosion in season 14. Though he had a tumultuous personal life, James Farentino was a talented actor with a strong early resume. There's that guy! Died in Season 6 after being stabbed by Ivar, there are no records of how he died in real life. "ER" notable not only for how long it ran (from 1994 to 2009), but for having one of the most star-studded casts in history, including both starring roles and guest appearances. 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.