FANS of classic medical drama ER rejoice – the entire series is coming to Netflix this week.
The hit show aired from 1994 to 2009 across 15 seasons, all of which will drop on on Monday, February 9.
ER was one of the biggest shows on TV in the 1990s and now all seasons are coming to NetflixCredit: Sky
The show made major stars of the cast, including George ClooneyCredit: AP:Associated Press
ER made household names of its stars including and Noah Wyle, and many of the cast have continued to have hugely successful careers on the big and small screens, as well as in the theatre.
But despite the show’s success – winning 23 Emmys, eight SAG Awards and a Golden Globe among others – there was as much drama off-camera as there was on at times.
Here’s just some of the backstage beef that made it out of the ward.
Star claims she was ‘blacklisted’
Vanessa Marquez accused her co-stars – among others – of getting her blacklisted in the industryCredit: Getty
Vanessa Marquez played Nurse Wendy Goldman in 27 episodes of ER between 1994 and 1997.
But the actress claimed in a 2017 Twitter post that she experienced racial and sexual harassment from some of her co-stars, which she reported to showrunner John Wells and Warner Bros.
She then accused everyone involved in having her ‘blacklisted’ from the industry, including George Clooney and the ER cast, as well as her own agents.
In response, George said in a statement: “I had no idea Vanessa [Marquez] was blacklisted. I take her at her word. I was not a writer or a producer or a director on that show.
“I had nothing to do with casting. I was an actor and only an actor. If she was told I was involved in any decision about her career then she was lied to.
“The fact that I couldn’t affect her career is only surpassed by the fact that I wouldn’t.”
Noah Wyle admits being difficult to work with
Noah Wyle admitted he had a ‘chip on his shoulder’ while on the show and gave many of his co-stars a hard time when they joinedCredit: Channel 4
One person he said he owed a huge apology to was Kellie Martin, who played Lucy KnightCredit: Channel 4
Noah played Dr. John Carter in ER from 1994 until 2005, becoming the last original cast member to leave the show.
Having spent so long on the programme, Noah has admitted on a number of occasions that he could be difficult to work with for newcomers to the show.
One person in particular who received a hard time from him was Kellie Martin, who played Lucy Knight.
He told Entertainment Weekly : “Here’s where I harbor a lot of guilt. I was not nice all the time to Kellie.
“Kellie came on that show and we were like rock stars. We were like, ‘Who’s the new kid?’
“We worked extremely hard to be the No. 1 show over those five seasons, and when Kellie came on, or whenever anybody came on, it was like, ‘Earn your keep!'”
Meanwhile he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2019: “But when [Goran Visnjic] came on to the show, I had a chip on my shoulder. I had a chip on my shoulder with anybody that came on that show.
“I’ve systematically gone to and apologized to everybody over the years about being the person that I was — which was, ‘You better come to play, you better bring your A game. This is pro ball, blah, blah, blah.’
“And it was not an easy environment to work in because we didn’t suffer fools. We were really hard on people, and I was hard on people that were coming into the show, like Erik Palladino or Michael Michele.
“Everybody had to earn their keep, in my opinion, especially poor Kellie Martin. I owe her a big apology.”
Battle with the censors
Showrunner John Wells said he had to battle network censors over interracial relationships on the showCredit: NBC
Showrunner John Wells revealed one of his biggest battles off-camera was with network censors over interracial relationships.
He told The Hollywood Reporter last year: “I really appreciate not dealing with standards and practices on a daily basis anymore. It’s fear-based and doesn’t respect the audience’s intelligence and sophistication.
“I had huge discussions during the ER days about racial story lines. ‘Could this Black character actually kiss this white character?’ This [was] in 1998! I was like, ‘Guys, what are we even talking about?’”
Star’s decision to quit left show bosses raging
Sherry Stringfield left bosses furious when she decided to leave after two series – and break out of her five year contractCredit: Channel 4
What actor or actress in their right mind would leave the biggest show on television? Sherry Stringfield that’s who.
The actress shocked everyone when she decided to quit her role as Dr. Susan Lewis after two seasons in 1996.
It meant she had to negotiate her way out of her five-year contract, and for the writers, they had to pivot away from the major storylines she was involved in, including a budding romance with Anthony Edwards’ Dr. Green.
To say show bosses were unhappy by the move is an understatement, as she revealed to Entertainment Weekly: “I wouldn’t describe the situation as pleasant. [The producers] were in shock.
“They tried to talk me out of it. It took a long time to get out of my contract.
“At first the producers thought I was negotiating for more money. It took them a while to realise it was about having a full-bodied life and getting out before I felt I’d sacrificed so much to get somewhere that I couldn’t afford to leave.
“I’m from the theatre. I never wanted to be a star.”
Despite their anger, bosses agreed to leave the door open for a potential return in the future, which she did in 2001.
Cast members hooked up to IV drips
Filming the biggest show on TV meant a lot of hours on set each week, and it did take its toll on some of the cast.
Sherry claimed in her Entertainment Weekly interview that she routinely worked 18-hour days, suffered from sleep deprivation, and contracted both viral meningitis and pneumonia.
She said: “You get a cold, they won’t let you off for a cold, then you get the flu, then you’re running a fever, you’re still coming in, you’re taking a nap on the gurneys in between scenes, you push, push, push, and finally your body says no f***ing no way.”
She added: “There were a couple of episodes where people did scenes with IVs in their arms.
“They’d have the bag inside their lab coat. One time I opened someone’s trailer and the person was sitting there with an IV. It was scary.”
All series of ER will drop on Netflix on Monday, February 9.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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