Julianna Margulies – who played George Clooney’s eventual on-screen lover – will not be returning to the set of ER this season, the show’s last.
Unlike most of the other ER alums, Margulies will not be reprising her role as nurse Carol Hathaway. She left the show in 2000, turning down a $27 million offer to remain for 3 more seasons, and returned home to New York to pursue other projects. Translation: Live off her ER money and do nothing much.
She says her decision to move on comes from the feeling that “I left Carol Hathaway in the best scenario possible. I can’t imagine making it any better than that.”
But we’re sure the nurse’s absence will leave fans disappointed, as her plot line found itself tangled up with Clooney’s dashing Dr. Doug Ross. Clooney’s return is likewise uncertain, despite a recent reprisal and ratings boostNoah Wyle will be returning, along with Eriq La Salle, who will also direct an episode.
[Image via Mavrix Online.]