‘ER’ turns 30! See where the cast is now, including George Clooney, Julianna Margulies, and more

George Clooney (Doug Ross)

A decade after his stint as Ace on the ’80s sitcom E/R, George Clooney landed his career-defining role as Dr. Doug Ross on ER, earning two Emmy nominations. Though he exited after five seasons to focus on film — making brief returns in seasons 6 and 15 — Clooney has stayed connected with his former costars beyond the hectic hallways of Chicago’s County General Hospital.

“I guess it was the friendship I have with all of them and that I continue to have,” the actor said in a 2022 interview on The Drew Barrymore Show. “They’re really good friends. And so I feel that [ER] was a job of a lifetime. And it changed my career.”

He then made the transition from TV to movies, starring in hits such as the Ocean’s trilogy (2001, 2004, 2007) and Gravity (2013), in addition to stepping behind the camera for films including Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) and Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) — the latter of which is set to be adapted for the Broadway stage in 2025 (with Clooney making his Broadway debut as both actor and playwright). He made his return to TV in Hulu‘s limited series adaptation of Catch-22, based on the Joseph Heller novel. Other directorial efforts from Clooney include Suburbicon (2017), The Midnight Sky (2020), The Tender Bar (2021), and The Boys in the Boat (2023).

An Academy Award nominee across several categories, he has taken home two Oscars — Best Supporting Actor for Syriana (2005) and Best Picture for Argo (2012). He also received the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2015, the Honorary César in 2017, and the Kennedy Center Honor in 2022.

Since 2014, Clooney has been married to human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, with whom he shares twins Ella and Alexander.

Anthony Edwards (Mark Greene)

With acting credits for projects like Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) and Top Gun (1986) already to his name, Anthony Edwards joined the ER cast as Dr. Mark Greene, staying for eight seasons and winning a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Drama in 1998. Despite the show’s serious plot points, Edwards fondly remembers that the cast kept things light.

“That’s the best memory of ER is that we laughed so much,” Edwards said during a 2017 interview on PeopleTV’s Couch Surfing. “We were always laughing. I think because the subject material was so heavy that we were always looking for ways to laugh.”

Since leaving ER, the actor has gone from solving medical mysteries to addressing conspiracies on Zero Hour and carrying out justice as Judge Stanley Weisberg in Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders (on which he reunited with his former ER costar, Mariska Hargitay, who plays Cynthia Hooper). Edwards’ other TV credits include Designated Survivor, Inventing Anna, WeCrashed, and Tales of the Walking Dead.

From 1994 to 2015, Edwards was married to make-up artist Jeanine Lobell, with whom he shares three daughters and a son. He later eloped with actress and longtime friend, Mare Winningham.

Julianna Margulies (Carol Hathaway)

Julianna Margulies’ troubled and lovelorn Carol Hathaway was originally supposed to die in the pilot episode, but instead became a mainstay for six seasons and a guest star for one season 15 episode. However, when it comes to revisiting the NBC medical drama, Margulies believes it’s best to just let things be.

“I don’t think you can reboot it,” she said during the ER cast’s virtual reunion in 2021. “You can’t capture lightning in a bottle twice. I think you have to leave what was so beautiful and move on. Because it just feels like it would cheapen it for me.”

After her ER stint, Margulies traded in her scrubs for power suits in pursuit of no-nonsense characters, appearing on shows like The Sopranos and Canterbury’s Law before landing her most prominent role as Alicia Florrick on The Good Wife — for which she earned two Emmys (in addition to the Emmy she won for ER‘s first season). Other post-ER credits have included The Hot Zone, Billions, and The Morning Show.

Since 2007, Margulies has been married to attorney Keith Lieberthal. Together, they have a son named Kenneth.

Sherry Stringfield (Susan Lewis)

Sherry Stringfield was a primary lead on ER as the skilled yet docile Dr. Susan Lewis…that is until she left in the middle of season 3 — despite having a five-season contract — to focus on her personal life. (She returned for seasons 8–12 and the series finale.)

“People can get certain good things out of fame, but until it killed [Princess Diana], nobody ever talked about how bad it can be,” Stringfield told EW in 1997 about her decision to leave ER the year before. “It was a little scary…. It’s like when you walk away from a really wonderful job like that, you start messing with everyone’s priorities.”

Since her tenure on ER, Stringfield has dabbled in quite a few TV movies like Hornet’s Nest (2012), The Confession (2013), and Runaway (2014). She also returned to the realm of dramatic series with roles on Under the Dome and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.

In 2006, Stringfield divorced businessman Paul Goldstein after seven years of marriage. Together, they share two children.

Noah Wyle (John Carter)

Noah Wyle joined the ER cast as third-year medical student John Carter. But even before his 11-season run (with appearances in seasons 12 and 15), he knew the medical drama would be an instant hit.

“They had George [Clooney], Sherry [Stringfield], Tony [Anthony Edwards], Eriq [La Salle], and I…and we’re in the wings of [New York City’s] Avery Fisher Hall. And then [they] just started showing these clips from the pilot,” Wyle told the Still Here Hollywood podcast in June 2024. “Then the place went crazy, like clapping, cheering, stomping, we all got this rush. And I just remember Tony turned all of us into going, ‘Here we go.'”

After his ER gig, Wyle returned to prime-time TV with parts on Falling Skies, The Librarians, and in The Red Line. He also stars as New Orleans lawyer Harry Wilson on Leverage: Redemption, in addition to directing multiple episodes. The actor is slated to get back in scrubs on another medical drama, The Pitt, which premieres in 2025 on Max.

Wyle has been married to actress Sara Wells since 2014, and together they have a daughter named Frances. He also shares two children — son Owen and daughter Auden — with his ex-wife, make-up artist Tracy Warbin.

Eriq La Salle (Peter Benton)

Eriq La Salle‘s Peter Benton started as a second-year resident and rose to attending physician by the time he departed in season 8 (though he returned for two more episodes in season 15.) While his character had a reputation for being less than polite, La Salle recalls his off-screen camaraderie with the cast.

“Everyone was just really cool,” he told PEOPLE in March 2024. “We bonded immediately.”

Post-ER, La Salle reunited with his former costar Sherry Stringfield on Under the Dome in 2015 and Gloria Reuben in the 2022 TV movie A Second Chance at Love. He also took part on the short-lived CBS series A Gifted Man and in the X-Men movie Logan (2017), on top of directing episodes of shows such as The Night Shift, Chicago P.D., Law & Order, and First Kill. He’s also made a name for himself as a thriller author, penning the critically acclaimed Martyr Maker novel series.

William H. Macy (David Morgenstern)

For 31 episodes of ER, William H. Macy plays County General’s chief of surgery, David Morgenstern. But his time working with ER executive producer John Wells is what stands out in his memory.

“John has a wonderful intolerance for bulls— behavior,” he told EW in December 2020. “He enforces that in such a lovely and genuine way. He never loses his temper — he’s like a Buddha…. From the second they get out of their car, the actors are ready.”

Post-ER, Macy kept busy with lesser-known films (2009’s The Maiden Heist and 2010’s Dirty Girl) before landing a major role on the Showtime hit Shameless, which earned him six Emmy nominations and three Screen Actors Guild Awards, from 2011 to 2021. Over the years, Macy has accrued a handful of other onscreen credits, including Cake (2014) Room (2015), The Dropout, Maybe I Do (2023), The Conners, Ricky Stanicky (2023), and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024).

Since 1997, Macy has been married to actress Felicity Huffman, with whom he shares two daughters, Sophia and Georgia.

Ming-Na Wen (Jing-Mei “Deb” Chen)

Coming off the heels of her starring role in The Joy Luck Club (1993), Ming-Na Wen guest-starred in season 1 of ER as Jing-Mei Chen. She later became a regular from seasons 6–11, and is grateful for her time on the medical drama.

“I got to work with George Clooney, come on, and Noah Wyle, Julianna Margulies, and just such amazing talents. Anthony Edwards. The list goes on and on,” Wen told Yahoo! Entertainment in June 2023. “Great directors, great writers. I had no idea about coming into Hollywood and doing a TV show.”

Since her time on ER, Wen spent the better part of a decade exploring a niche in family-friendly entertainment. Her voice has been featured in numerous animated productions, such as Mulan (1998), Phineas and Ferb, Adventure Time, and LEGO Marvel’s Avengers. She also nabbed parts on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Disney Channel‘s Milo Murphy’s Law, Disney+‘s The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, and Max‘s Velma and Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.

Wen has two children with her husband, Eric Michael Zee. Her first pregnancy was even incorporated into the storyline of ER‘s first season.

Sam Anderson (Jack Kayson)

After gaining more prominence as Mr. Gorpley on Perfect Strangers, Principal DeWitt on Growing Pains, and Principal in Forrest Gump (1994), Sam Anderson had a 20-episode gig on ER as Jack Kayson, County General Hospital’s chief of cardiology.

Anderson has made frequent appearances across the small screen since his ER days, including on Lost and Justified. He notably appeared in season 2 of This Is Us as Judge Walter Crowder, the man who gave Randall’s biological father a second chance after a drug arrest. Anderson’s film credits include Water for Elephants (2011), Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016), and Where the Crawdads Sing (2022).

In 1985, the veteran actor married teacher Barbara Anderson, with whom he shares twins.

CCH Pounder (Angela Hicks)

CCH Pounder‘s time on ER as Angela Hicks was short but memorable, earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

Since departing the show in 1997, Pounder has worked steadily on the small screen and played extended roles on The Shield, Sons of Anarchy, and NCIS: New Orleans. She also portrayed the Na’vi spiritual leader Mo’at in James Cameron‘s blockbuster Avatar (2009), and reprises her role in the sequels.

Pounder has three children with her late husband, Boubacar Kone, who died at age 73 in 2016.