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NBC (ended 2009)

ER Cast: Who left willingly and who didn't? (no Season 15 references please)

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    X-RayVision

    [1]May 15, 2008
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    ER has been on for 14 seasons now, they have had countless cast changes. I'm willing to bet that there are some good stories in there somewhere. Anybody got a good one to share?

    I mean there are given one who we all know left on their own. Anthony Edwards, Noah Wyle, NBC probably would have offered George Clooney partial ownership of the network if he had stayed. But there have been plenty of others to come through. Lets see what we've got here.

    Edited on 09/26/2008 6:27pm
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    GalaxyDuster

    [2]May 15, 2008
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    Well, I'm pretty sure Alex Kingston didn't leave "willingly". I believe she made a statement that she was fired because she was "old and boring" (which she wasn't!!!!).
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    anyabr

    [3]May 15, 2008
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    I think Kellie Martin left willingly too, I remember her saying that Lucy's story was told, but that she hadn't wanted to go that way...

    Julianna Margulies was offered a lot of money to stay but decided to go. Laura Innes also went willingly.

    I'm not sure but I think Gloria Reuben left saying that her character was barely used in the show (very true) and that there was no point in her continuing there. But I don't think she left things too badly, looking on future events.

    Sherry Stringfield left things just as bad as Alex Kingston, due no ending for Dr. Lewis in the beginning of the 12th season. Apparently she fought bad with the producers and just left.

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    robesoka

    [4]May 15, 2008
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    anyabr wrote:

    I think Kellie Martin left willingly too, I remember her saying that Lucy's story was told, but that she hadn't wanted to go that way...

    Julianna Margulies was offered a lot of money to stay but decided to go. Laura Innes also went willingly.

    I'm not sure but I think Gloria Reuben left saying that her character was barely used in the show (very true) and that there was no point in her continuing there. But I don't think she left things too badly, looking on future events.

    Sherry Stringfield left things just as bad as Alex Kingston, due no ending for Dr. Lewis in the beginning of the 12th season. Apparently she fought bad with the producers and just left.

    Why can't everybody just get along ?

    Edited on 05/15/2008 8:25pm
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    lozza1525

    [5]May 16, 2008
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    anyabr wrote:
    I think Kellie Martin left willingly too, I remember her saying that Lucy's story was told, but that she hadn't wanted to go that way...

    I'm pretty sure that was Erik Palladino (Malucci) which was true enough. Kellie wanted out because her sister had died from a disease a few years before her ER days and working on a TV show which is set in a hospital became too much for her eventually.

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    algetrig91

    [6]May 16, 2008
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    Eriq La Salle left to be with his family, I believe willingly.
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    cgbrannigan

    [7]May 16, 2008
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    Sherry Stringfield left willingly - both times. One to be with her fiance and the second coz she'd just had a baby (having been signed on to be in season 12 but deciding to quit after just a couple of episodes and leaving without anyone having a chance to give her a leaving story)

    Kellie Martin quit coz she was getting depressed working in a hospital setting after spending so much time with her sister dying a hospital.

    Anthony Edwards, Clooney, Wyle, Innes, Paul McCrane all left willingly to star and direct other projects.

    The only person who I know left unwillingly was Jorja Fox who I dont think has EVER left a TV show without some kind of argumanet...plus she's always been the worst thing in whatever she's in....
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    kangaroos8

    [8]May 16, 2008
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    LOL.
    some ppl just love the drama.
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    vicky24c

    [9]May 17, 2008
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    I remember reading that Kellie Martin left, because of her sibling died in a hospital and the set remineded her of it.

    I miss all the old characters.

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    hal9000_basic

    [10]Jun 4, 2008
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    I started watching the Show from the beginning, about 1 month ago, having downloaded all. Previously I started from Season 13 and got hooked.

    Its a pity that some of the most dynamic characters have left. The current ensemble are fairly lightweight. Whether they were pushed or left willingly I feel that for 15 years on TV on one Show is a very good career.

    Out of all who have departed only George Clooney was a success. Fox had a minor resurgence in CSI. But she is no leading star.

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    twinsen

    [11]Jun 7, 2008
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    GalaxyDuster wrote:
    Well, I'm pretty sure Alex Kingston didn't leave "willingly". I believe she made a statement that she was fired because she was "old and boring" (which she wasn't!!!!).


    I remember that too. I can't imagine why they cut all these people when now it's not just ER but the entire County is devoid of secondary characters to build stories on. If people thought Dubenko was a vapid character, just look at Crenshaw.
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    angrodpallanen

    [12]Jun 25, 2008
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    It's sad that so many good characters left the building. I mean, I loved Lewis, she deserved an proper ending, Carter and Weaver should've NEVER left, they are just too much core characters to leave the ER, but they did
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    Shana868

    [13]Sep 2, 2008
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    cgbrannigan wrote:

    The only person who I know left unwillingly was Jorja Fox who I dont think has EVER left a TV show without some kind of argumanet...plus she's always been the worst thing in whatever she's in....


    Well Alex Kingston left unwillingly too.

    What happened with Jorja Fox? I have never heard why she left.

    I don't think it's really appropriate to pass judgement on an actress to that degree here. I personally liked Maggie as a character and hardly think it's possible for a t.v. actor to be constantly the worst in everything they appear in.
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    DuckythePoet89

    [14]Sep 3, 2008
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    vicky24c wrote:

    I remember reading that Kellie Martin left, because of her sibling died in a hospital and the set remineded her of it.

    I miss all the old characters.

    She did leave willingly, and I was very sad that she decided to go because I wanted her character Lucy, and Noah Wyle's charcter, Carter, to get together so badly. I still read fanfiction on them. Although I don't agree with the fact that her character's story was over, I mean Noah Wyle started out as a med student on the show, and I'd have liked to see her character as a doctor, it would have been very interesting, but maybe she said that to kind of hide the fact as to why she really left and then finally decided to tell the truth, but it's a very understandable thing. Carter and Lucy, as well as Ray and Neela will always be my favorite couples, whether they happened or not.

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    eoyguy

    [15]Sep 3, 2008
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    Jorja left because she was getting better roles in other series, first with The West Wing, then of course with CSI. ER pretty much wasted her, just like they did with Maria Bello, IMHO.
    Edited on 09/03/2008 2:36pm
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    kdtfiles

    [16]Sep 3, 2008
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    The guy who played Jerry left willingly too, because he got a "better" rol on Men in Trees where his character is more than just a glorified extra.
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    Shana868

    [17]Sep 7, 2008
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    eoyguy wrote:
    Jorja left because she was getting better roles in other series, first with The West Wing, then of course with CSI. ER pretty much wasted her, just like they did with Maria Bello, IMHO.


    Yep I would agree that the Maggie character was pretty neglected, but I don't think ER did too badly with Anna; it was just a shame she was only there one season, but that was because Mario Bello left for better parts, right? Had she stayed on ER longer I'm sure her character would have been more developed. I mean, Anna was a favourite character of mine just from one season alone so she must have been given her fair share of screentime and storylines.
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    eoyguy

    [18]Sep 8, 2008
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    I thought they wasted Maria Bello, not because they neglected her character like they did Doyle, but because she was an interesting character while she was there, but with he potential for so much more. I thought her and Carter's story was interesting and could have been really fleshed out. Why she left I don't know. The only thing I remember her being in after ER is 'A History of Violence', though Wiki lists her other films I haven't seen. I assume she wanted to concentrate more on her film career and believed ER would hold her back.
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    Shana868

    [19]Sep 9, 2008
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    eoyguy wrote:
    I thought they wasted Maria Bello, not because they neglected her character like they did Doyle, but because she was an interesting character while she was there, but with he potential for so much more. I thought her and Carter's story was interesting and could have been really fleshed out. Why she left I don't know. The only thing I remember her being in after ER is 'A History of Violence', though Wiki lists her other films I haven't seen. I assume she wanted to concentrate more on her film career and believed ER would hold her back.


    I think she may have left to do Coyote Ugly. I just feel that many characters have slow beginnings and by their second season faster progression, where maybe her potential would have been reached.
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    s15occer

    [20]Sep 9, 2008
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    Others actors on the show, other than George, have had success- more behind that camera...

    What did ever happen to Dr. Dave, did he living willingly?
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