Noah Wyle reveals the moment he knew ‘ER’ would be a hit

Noah Wyle said that he had a hunch that medical drama ER was gonna be big, and it happened very early on.

Noah Wyle stars on “ER” in 2005.

Scott Garfield/NBCU Photo Bank

“They had George [Clooney], Sherry [Stringfield], Tony [Anthony Edwards], Eriq [La Salle], and I — Julianna [Margulies] hadn’t been cast as a main character yet because she died in the pilot originally — and we’re in the wings of [New York City’s] Avery Fisher Hall,” Wyle told the Still Here Hollywood podcast about the series which aired for 15 seasons. “And then [they] just started showing these clips from the pilot. Just boom.”

He explained that when the footage stopped, the venue was silent… for a moment.

“And then the place went crazy, like clapping, cheering, stomping, we all got this rush,” Wyle said. “And I just remember Tony turned all of us into going, ‘Here we go.'”

Beloved by audiences and critics alike, the Michael Crichton-created show wracked up 23 Emmys, including the 1996 trophy for best drama series.

The show famously launched the careers of several cast members, including Clooney, who’s shown a lot of gratitude for the series over the years.

In October 2022, the Michael Clayton actor explained on The Drew Barrymore Show that he’s remained friends with his costars from the series.

“I had [Anthony] Edwards at the house in Italy three weeks ago — he and Mare came,” Clooney said. He explained that he was still “really close with Margulies and Wyle.

“They’re really good friends,” Clooney said. “And so I feel that [show] was a job of a lifetime. And it changed my career.”