Celebrating 30 Years of Friendship Since the Iconic NBC Medical Drama
Even 15 years after ER ended, George Clooney and Julianna Margulies continue to honor the roles that made them household names. During an interview with the Television Academy, celebrating ER‘s 30th anniversary, Margulies shared a heartwarming detail about her friendship with Clooney, revealing that they still sign their personal emails to each other with their ER character names.
“It always had to be Carol and Doug, in the end,” said Margulies, 58, referring to their characters’ iconic romance on the show. “George and I, to this day, still sign our emails, ‘Love, Carol’ or ‘Doug.’”
Margulies portrayed head nurse Carol Hathaway, while Clooney, 63, played her love interest, Dr. Doug Ross, on the long-running medical drama. The series, which aired from 1994 to 2009, was set in the emergency room of the fictional County General Hospital in Chicago and remains a defining moment in both actors’ careers.
Margulies, who admits she still gets emotional when watching ER reruns and hearing the show’s theme song, also reminisced about the excitement surrounding Clooney’s return to the series after his departure in Season 5.
“My mother screamed when she saw him come back, which I think was a common reaction,” Margulies said. “Carol and Doug were destined to be together, and it was the perfect ending for them.”
She added, “ER was responsible for George and my careers. I will always be indebted to that show.”
In addition to Clooney and Margulies, ER starred Anthony Edwards, Sherry Stringfield, Eriq La Salle, and Noah Wyle, among others, with the series winning 23 Emmy Awards over its 15-season run. Clooney has often spoken about the tight bond between the cast members, revealing in a 2022 appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show that he remains close to many of them.
“I still have a great friendship with all of them,” Clooney said. “Tony Edwards and his wife Mare were at my house in Italy a few weeks ago. I’m still really close with Julianna and Noah Wyle too. Those friendships have lasted a lifetime, and I feel like ER was the job of a lifetime.”
Margulies echoed similar sentiments during the ER anniversary celebration, reflecting on the show’s impact not only on their careers but also on their personal lives.
Clooney, who has since enjoyed a prolific career in film, recently reunited with Brad Pitt for their upcoming thriller-comedy Wolfs. At the film’s premiere, Clooney spoke to PEOPLE about working with Pitt again, having previously teamed up in films like the Ocean’s trilogy and Burn After Reading.
“From the minute we got there, it was just easy again,” Clooney said. “The fun part was how naturally the dialogue came together—it was like old times.”