Scrub in! The cast of ER took the doctor drama genre to the next level when the show premiered in September 1994.
The NBC series ran for 15 seasons, ending in 2009, and helped launch many of its stars’ careers, including George Clooney, who played Dr. Doug Ross. Clooney’s onscreen love interest Julianna Margulies (who played nurse Carol Hathaway) was also launched to super stardom after her performance on the procedural.
Noah Wyle (Dr. John Carter), Anthony Edwards (Dr. Mark Greene), Eriq La Salle (Dr. Peter Benton) and Sherry Stringfield (Dr. Susan Lewis) rounded out the original six cast members. Fans were hooked from beginning to end as the residents became doctors and nurses navigating Chicago’s County General Hospital emergency room.
With the addition of Laura Innes (Dr. Kerry Weaver), Maura Tierney (Dr. Abby Lockhart), Alex Kingston (Dr. Elizabeth Corday) and Goran Visnjic (Dr. Luka Kovac), viewers had even more intrigue and hospital drama to keep track of.
The show was a massive success, earning a record-setting 124 Emmy nominations, winning a total of 23 trophies, including one for Outstanding Drama Series.
Scroll down to see what the cast of ER has been doing since their respective TV exits:
Sherry Stringfield
Stringfield portrayed Dr. Susan Lewis, one of the original characters, leaving after season 3 in 1996. She later returned in 2001 for season 8, but exited for good in 2005 after season 12. The actress starred in The Stepfather, Night and Day, Criminal Behavior, The Confession and Runaway. On the small screen, the Colorado native appeared on Under the Dome and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.
The NYPD Blue alum was married to Larry E. Joseph from 1998 to 2006. They share two children: Phoebe and Milo.
Noah Wyle
Wyle played Dr. John Carter, starring in 254 episodes throughout the show’s 15 seasons, which is the most of any actor on ER. He then appeared in Below the Beltway, Queen of the Lot, Shot and Perfect Citizen. The Los Angeles native starred on Falling Skies as Tom Mason, The Librarians as Flynn Carsen and The Red Line as Daniel Calder before landing the role of Harry Sullivan on Leverage: Redemption in 2021. Behind the camera, Wyle has been a producer — working on Falling Skies, Shot, The Librarians and A Killer Story — and a director. He also wrote two episodes of The Librarians in 2016 and 2017.
The Emmy nominee was married to Tracy Warbin for 10 years before they split in 2010. The former spouses share son Owen and daughter Auden. Wyle married actress Sara Wells in 2014. They share daughter Frances.
Laura Innes
Innes’ Dr. Kerry Weaver appeared in 249 episodes, mainly from 1994 to 2007, starting as the chief resident and eventually becoming chief of staff. After her departure from the hit series, she landed the role of Sophia Maguire on The Event. Innes has also starred in Model Minority, The Good Neighbor and North Star. She had a recurring role on Awake in 2012 and How to Get Away With Murder in 2019. The Michigan native has more than 15 director credits to her name, including The West Wing, ER, Brothers & Sisters and How to Get Away With Murder. She also wrote and produced the short film One Smart Fellow.
Innes wed actor David Brisbin in 1988. They share son Cal and adopted daughter Mia.
Anthony Edwards
Edwards played Dr. Mark Greene — who married Elizabeth Corday (Kingston) during season 7 — until season 8 in 2002. He later reprised his role for the 2008 episode “Heal Thyself” in flashback scenes. While appearing on ER, the actor also had roles in The Client, Playing by Heart, Northfork and Zodiac. He later starred in Big Sur, Consumed, Drew and Controversy, in addition to voicing Echo in Planes. In the 2020s, Edwards continued his rein on television with prominent roles in two drama miniseries: Inventing Anna and WeCrashed. The California native played Hank Galliston on Zero Hour before having a recurring role on Law & Order: True Crime and Designated Survivor. In the 2020s, Edwards continued his rein on television with prominent roles in two drama miniseries: Inventing Anna and WeCrashed. The Emmy winner is also a producer, working on Border Line, Temple Grandin and The Tricky Part. His directing credits include four episodes of ER, Charlie’s Ghost Story and My Dead Boyfriend.
Edwards married Jeanine Lobell in 1994. The couple share four children: son Bailey, and daughters Esme, Wallis and Poppy.
Eriq La Salle
La Salle played Dr. Peter Benton for eight seasons before walking away from the show in 2002. He appeared in two more episodes during season 15 in 2009. He starred on The System as Andrew Evans before appearing in Inside Out, Johnny Was and episodes of 24, Covert Affairs and How to Make It in America. The Connecticut native also starred on A Gifted Man, Blackout and Under the Dome. La Salle has an equally successful career behind the camera with more than 30 directing credits to his name, including The Night Shift, CSI: Cyber, Chicago P.D. and Law & Order: Organized Crime. He was also a co-executive producer on Chicago P.D. from 2017 to 2019 before being bumped up to executive producer in 2018. The actor is also an author, penning Laws of Depravity and Laws of Innocence.
Juliana Marguiles
The New York native portrayed nurse Carol Hathaway — who was also the nurse manager and married to Doug Ross (Clooney) — from 1994 to 2000. She made a guest appearance nine years after her departure in season 15’s “Old Times.” Margulies starred in Slingshot, Snakes on a Plane and Beautiful Ohio before appearing on The Sopranos and Canterbury’s Law. She played Alicia Florrick on The Good Wife for seven seasons, from 2009 to 2016, which earned her two Emmys. She then appeared as Kitty Montgomery on Dietland, Dr. Nancy Jaax on The Hot Zone and had a recurring role on Billions. She landed the role of Laura Peterson on The Morning Show in 2021. Margulies produced Canterbury’s Law in 2008 and went on to become a producer on The Good Wife. She cowrote the 2016 children’s book Three Magic before releasing her 2021 memoir, Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life.
The actress married Keith Lieberthal in 2007 and they share son Kieran.
George Clooney
Clooney played Dr. Doug Ross for five seasons before exiting the show in 1999. He reprised his role again in 2009 during the show’s final season. The Oscar winner has since starred in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Solaris, Good Night, and Good Luck, the Ocean’s Eleven franchise, Leatherheads, Burn After Reading, The Descendants, Gravity, The Monuments Men, Midnight Sky and 2024’s Wolfs. The Kentucky native is also an award-winning producer, director and writer. He has produced The American, The Ides of March, Memphis Beat, Catch-22 and Red Platoon. His directing credits include Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Good Night, and Good Luck, which he also wrote.
Clooney was married to Talia Balsam from 1989 to 1993 before tying the knot again in 2014 with Amal Clooney. George and Amal share twins Alexander and Ella.
Alex Kingston
Kingston joined the cast as surgeon and physician Dr. Elizabeth Corday in 1997. She exited the series during season 11 in 2004 before returning for two episodes in the final season. The English actress then played Ellie Lagden on Hope Springs, Miranda Pond on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, River Song on Doctor Who, Dinah Lance on Arrow and Mary Foster on Shoot the Messenger. She appeared in Like Crazy, Macbeth, Happily Every After and Transference. She landed the role of Sarah Bishop in A Discovery of Witches in 2018 and later starred on Treason and Douglas Is Cancelled.
Kingston has been married three times: to Ralph Fiennes from 1993 to 1997, Florian Haertel from 1998 to 2010 and Jonathan Stamp, whom she wed in 2015. The actress shares daughter Salome with her second husband.
Maura Tierney
Tierney’s Dr. Abby Lockhart became a series staple beginning in 1999, later marrying Dr. Luka Kovac (Visnkic). The actress then starred on Rescue Me as Kelly McPhee, The Whole Truth as Kathryn Peale, Ruth & Erica as Erica and had a recurring role on The Good Wife as Maddie Hayward. She also appeared in Beautiful Boy and The Report before playing Helen Solloway on The Affair and landing the role of Fiona McKee on Your Honor. The Massachusetts native has been a producer on three short films, including MaNic, and lent her voice to five different soundtracks.
She split from actor Billy Morrissette in 2006 after 13 years of marriage.
Goran Visnjic
The Croatian actor played Dr. Luka Kovac from 1999 to 2008, becoming a series regular after Clooney’s exit. He then starred in Helen, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Dark Hearts, General, Fatima and The Accursed. Visnjic also appeared on The Deep, Tito, Pan Am, Red Widow, Extant, Crossing Lines, Timeless, Santa Clarita Diet, The Boys and This Is Us. His producing credits include Croatia’s Duga Mracna Noc and General.
He’s been married to sculptor Eva Visnjic since 1999. The couple share three children: Tin, Vivien and Vigo. The actor is also the father of daughter Lana, whom he shares with Mirela Rupic.
Deezer D
Deezer D portrayed nurse Malik McGrath, who often brought the laughs to the ER throughout the 15 seasons. While on the show, he also starred in Bringing Down the House, Bones, The Way Back Home and In the Mix. The California native later appeared in the short Raven, Crowning Jules and Courting Mom and Dad. He also worked as a motivational speaker and hip hop artist.
The actor died in January 2021 at the age of 55. He previously underwent open-heart surgery in 2009 and his family believes he died from a heart attack.
Laura Cerón
Cerón joined the cast as nurse Chuny Marquez in 1995, starting in the maternity ward before switching to the ER. She then starred in Bring It On: Fight to the Finish, Political Disasters, The Perfect Family, California Winter and Requiescat. The Mexican actress had a recurring role on Shameless and Station 19, in addition to appearing as a guest star on Major Crimes and Firefly Lane. Her theater credits include Each Day Dies With Sleep, Heroes and Saints and Once Five Years Pass.
Yvette Freeman
The Delaware native played recurring character nurse Haleh Adams in all 15 seasons. While filming ER, she also starred as Evelyn Smalley on Working. Freeman then appeared in Five Star Day, Hope, The Last Word and Blindfire. She played recurring characters on Days of Our Lives, The Bold and the Beautiful and Orange Is the New Black. The actress is also a producer, director and writer.
She has been married to jazz pianist Lanny Hartley since 1996.
