Juliana Marguiles and George Clooney Getty Photographs (2)
Julianna Margulies might not have had as lengthy of a tenure on ER if it weren’t for George Clooney.
Margulies, 58, revealed how a near-failed audition led to her studying for the position of Carol Hathaway, who she portrayed on the cleaning soap for six seasons from 1994 to 2000, in the course of the Friday, November 8, episode of The Kelly Clarkson Present.
The actress started her story by recalling that she had three auditions scheduled for the day, so she arrived early to her ER learn – a behavior she picked up after rising up with a “hippie, loopy, fantastic mom who was all the time late.”
“There [were] in all probability 50 folks within the ready room they usually have been operating two hours behind and I used to be pissed,” she advised host Kelly Clarkson. “I used to be like, ‘I’m gonna be late for my different auditions, this isn’t OK. Overlook it.’”
Across the two-hour mark, Margulies stated she was “strolling out” when a casting director requested her to learn for a recurring position.
“However I used to be so pissed off that I did it actually rudely — a bit of New York anger. And I knew I flunked,” she continued. “And I walked out of the audition and the casting director stated, ‘Maintain on a minute. You’re not proper for the half.’ And I used to be like, ‘Ya suppose?’ And he stated, ‘However you is likely to be proper for this head nurse Carol Hathaway, however she dies within the pilot. However may you come learn for that?’ So I went again in and I learn for Hathaway, with a variety of perspective. And I acquired the position.”
Margulies famous that within the unique script, Carol died from a drug overdose. Her dying proved to be some of the emotional moments from the pilot, because it was seen “by George Clooney’s eyes” resulting from Carol being an “outdated flame” of Doug Ross, the character he went on to painting for 5 seasons.
ER Getty Photographs
“So immediately her dying appeared actually vital to the viewers watching,” Margulies famous, explaining that when the episode was proven to a take a look at viewers, the group collectively reacted with, “No!” She added, “As a result of they love George Clooney a lot — who doesn’t?”
Along with Clooney, 63, serving to her safe her iconic position, ER actress Sherry Stringfield, who portrayed Dr. Susan Lewis, additionally had a hand in Margulies locking down her half.
Susan occurred to be within the working room when Carol was introduced in on a gurney, and had put her clipboard in entrance of her mouth when she stated, “She’s braindead” – that means viewers members couldn’t lip-read her phrases.
“So they simply looped totally different strains in saying, ‘She’s gonna be okay,’ or no matter. And so they introduced me again to life,” Margulies stated.
After Margulies’ exit from ER in 2000, she went on to star in The Good Spouse and appeared on Dietland, The Sizzling Zone, Billions and The Morning Present reverse Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston. Her most up-to-date appearing credit score is 2024’s Millers in Marriage.
Clooney, for his half, has starred in a myriad of blockbuster and award-winning movies, together with the Ocean’s trilogy, Burn After Studying, The Descendants, The Males Who Stare at Goats and Good Night time, and Good Luck. He’s additionally gained two Oscars.
As for his subsequent large mission, Clooney will make his Broadway debut in Good Night time, and Good Luck within the spring of 2025.
“I simply emailed him and stated, ‘I’m so happy with you. You don’t have to do that,’” Margulies advised Folks final month. “It’s scary, you realize, being on Broadway. And the world we stay in now, everybody’s a choose, and you must block all that out and do your work. And so, I’m actually happy with him for choosing a tough highway. It’s not straightforward work, and I’m actually impressed that he’s doing it.”
