Julianna Margulies & George Clooney Still Call Each Other By ‘ER’ Character Names
deadline.comAfter 30 years, Carol Hathaway and Doug Ross are still endgame. Marking the milestone anniversary of ER‘s 1994 premiere on NBC, Julianna Margulies looked back on her and George Clooney‘s departure from the show and how the pair still keeps their characters’ bond alive off screen. “It always had to be Carol and Doug, in the end,” the actress told the Television Academy. “George and I, to this day, still sign our personal emails to each other ‘Love, Carol’ or ‘Doug.'” Margulies also recalled her character Carol’s sendoff in the 2000 episode ‘Such Sweet Sorrow’, which reunited her with Clooney’s Doug after his exit a season before.
She revealed how they kept the reunion a secret from everyone, including their co-stars. She recalled getting “very emotional” during her final table read after reading what she thought was her character’s ending, explaining that she “just cried” in the bathroom because she thought, “I can’t believe they’re not giving her a proper sendoff.” Co-star Noah Wyle even consoled her.
Showrunner John Wells then went to her trailer and told her, “‘Look, we have the right ending for Carol. But we can’t tell anyone.
Because if it gets out, it won’t be a surprise. So here’s what we’re going to do.’ I was like, ‘I wish he had warned me before I went into that table read!'” He soon told her that Clooney had agreed to return, giving her the script for their big reunion scene.
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