Original Cast Of ER: Where Are They Now?

Published on March 1, 2017. Updated October 31, 2019

ER was one of the first big medical drama’s on television! The series ran from 1994 to 2009 and spawned a whopping 15 seasons. ER followed the lives of the physicians and staff who worked in the fictional County General Hospital in Chicago, Illinois and acted as a stepping ground for many big stars like George Clooney and Julianna Margulies. It goes down in history as not only one of the best shows ever, but also the most nominated drama in history with 23 Primetime Emmy Award nods. The series ended quite some time ago, but many of the original cast members left the show long before the series finale. So what are they up to now? Here’s a closer look at where 9 of the original cast members are now!

9. Anthony Edwards

Anthony Edwards played the role of Dr. Mark Greene on the first eight seasons of ER. During his time on the show he received a Golden Globe and six Screen Actors Guild Awards, but asked to be written off in 2002 so he could pursue his dream of becoming a director. Afterwards he was cast in the show Zero Hour, but it was cancelled due to poor ratings. He then appeared in a few films and did some one episode appearances on big shows like Blue Bloods, Girls and Billions. His biggest accomplishment was as executive producer for Temple Grandin and My Louisiana Sky, both Emmy Award winning TV films. When he’s not acting or directing, he serves as a chairman for Shoe4Africa and in 2012 he became a certified private pilot!

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8. Eriq La Salle

From 1994 to 2002, Eriq La Salle played the role of Dr. Peter Benton on ER. He returned to the show for three episodes in the last season to act and direct an episode. After leaving ER back in 2002, he got busy working as a filmmaker. He produced the feature film, The Salton Sea, and produced, directed and starred in Crazy as Hell. In 2003, he wrote, directed and starred in an episode of The Twilight Zone and has since directed several TV episodes on shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, CSI: NY, Ringer, Lucifer, Under the Dome and A Gifted Man. In 2012 he used his experiences both in front and behind the camera to write his first novel, “Laws of Depravity.” He was recently cast in the upcoming film, Logan.

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7. Alex Kingston

Alex Kingston joined ER as British surgeon, Elizabeth Corday in 1997 and carried out the role for seven seasons until she left in 2004. She continued to act with various roles in projects like Without a Trace, Doctor Who, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Upstairs Downstairs, Arrow, Private Practice, Blue Bloods, American Odyssey, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, just to name a few, but hasn’t held many series regular roles since ER. In 2010 she separated from her husband, Florian Haertel and married television producer, Jonathan Stamp in 2015.

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6. George Clooney

George Clooney is no doubt the most famous actor to have come from ER. He played Dr. Doug Ross from 1994 to 1999, but has since become a household name. Some of his most notable roles were in films like Gravity, Up in the Air, Syriana, Ocean’s Eleven triology, The Descendants, Money Monster (and more). He also won several awards both as an actor and filmmaker. Clooney has directed several powerful films and in 2009 was listed as one of Time’s “Most Influential People in the World.” He is well known for his political activism and humanitarian work. He married human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in 2014 and in February 2017 the couple revealed they are expecting twins!

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5. Laura Innes

Best known as Dr. Kerry Weaver on ER, and more recently as Sophia on The Event. Innes joined the medical drama in 1995 for the series’ second season and stayed with the role for 12 seasons until 2007, making her the longest serving cast member in the show’s history. She also received two Emmy nominations and three Screen Actors Guild awards for her role. After she left the series, she was offered a series regular role on another NBC show, The Event, but it only lasted for one season. Aside from that she’s appeared in 9 episodes of Awake and an episode of Warehouse 13. In addition to acting, she went on to direct episodes of Brothers and Sisters, House and The West Wing earning herself another Emmy nomination.

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4. Sherry Stringfield

Stringfield played the character of Dr. Susan Lewis on ER from 1994 to 1996, 2001 to 2005 and then returned for the final episode in 2009. After she left ER the first time, she taught a script analysis class and directed several plays. She appeared in a few notable films like 54, The Stepfather, The Confession and Autumn in New York. In between her two stints on ER, Stringfield guest starred in Shark, Touched by an Angel, Tell Me You Love Me, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Law & Order. In 2014 she took on a recurring role in the series Under the Dome, but hasn’t done much more acting since. She got divorced from her husband, Larry E. Joseph in 2006 and currently lives in Los Angeles.

3. Gloria Reuben

Gloria Reuben started off in a guest role on ER in the character of Jeanie Boulet, but by season two she was a series regular. She lasted on the show until season six and has since become an activist for HIV-AIDS. Right after she left ER she went on tour with Tina Turner and sang back-up vocals. Reuben held notable roles in films like Lincoln, Pilgrim and The Longest Ride and landed six series regular roles since she left ER on shows like 1-800-Missing, The Agency, Raising the Bar, Mr. Robot, Saints & Sinners and the upcoming series, Cloak & Dagger. Reuben also had a recurring role on Falling Skies, alongside former ER cast member Noah Wyle, who also produced the show.

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2. Julianne Margulies

Julianne Margulies is another actress from ER who has now become a household name. She won her first Emmy in 1995 for Best Supporting Actress in a TV drama for her portrayal of nurse manager Carol Hathaway and was nominated throughout her entire tenure until she left the series in 2000. When she left, she began acting on stage and in films like Ghost Ship, Evelyn and Snakes on a Plane. More notably, she’s starred in two legal dramas, Canterbury’s Law and The Good Wife which earned her another Emmy for Best Actress in 2010. In 2011 she began working as a producer on The Good Wife while still starring in the series until 2016. In 2015 was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.

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1. Noah Wyle

He was the only original cast member to stay (almost) until the series end — he left after season 11 before returning for the five final episodes of the last season. After starring as John Carter from 1994 to 2005, he left the show to spend more time with his family and friends, but four years later in 2009 he and his wife, Tracy Warbin separated, then divorced. Wyle has appeared in several films since he left ER and worked as a producer and starred in two TNT TV movies, the series Falling Skies and The Librarians. He also became a spokesperson for the World Wide Fund for Nature and a supporter for the disability group, ADAPT. In 2014, he married Sara Wells and welcomed a daughter in June 2015. His next on-screen appearance will be in the film Felt which is set to be released sometime in 2017.

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