ER HEADQUARTERS.COM // Chat Transcripts
 

OnlineHost:  Copyright 1995 America Online, Inc.

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OnlineHost:  To interact with your hosts or their guests, use the Interact Button and select either "Ask a Question" or "Send a Comment" -- please be aware that your hosts may not be able to address all items sent to the stage due to time constraints. Questions or comments sent that are not relevant to the conference in progress will not be addressed in order to save you time and charges.

OnlineHost:  Your emcee is JoEllenMn (CSEmcee2).

OnlineHost:  NBC is pleased to present Anthony Edwards, a recent People's Choice Awards winner for his starring role on the runaway hit NBC series "ER". In yet another first for NBC, the network made a live announcement of the upcoming Edwards online chat at the conclusion of the March 9 "ER" broadcast.

OnlineHost:  Edwards, who received rave reviews for his performance in the gripping March 9 episode (24.2 rating, 40 share) about a pregnant woman whose life and the life of her unborn child were seriously threatened by abnormal complications, will discuss how his role as Dr. Mark Greene has affected his life on and off the set as well as answer other questions from "ER's" growing legion of fans.

OnlineHost:  "ER," hailed by critics as the hottest new drama series of the current season, has earned solid ratings since its debut last September. The top-rated entertainment series for six of the past eight weeks, "ER" scored its second back-to-back 40 share for original programming with the airing of the March 9 episode, also making it the first new drama to achieve a 40 share in 20 years. Ray Richmond of the Los Angeles Daily News recently called the series"...the most popular drama since the Jurassic era." "ER" airs Thursdays (10-11 p.m. ET) on NBC.

OnlineHost:  Best-selling author Michael Crichton ("Jurassic Park," "Rising Sun") is the creator and, with John Wells from "China Beach," executive producer of this drama about a group of young residents assigned to the chaotic emergency room of a large Chicago hospital. "ER" is a production of Constant c Productions and Amblin Television in association with Warner Bros. Television.

CSEmcee2:  Welcome,  Anthony Edwards to the Odeon auditorium. It is a pleasure to have you here!

EdwardsER:  Thank you, it's great to be here!

Question:  How hard was it to do the scenes required in last week's show?

EdwardsER:  In most episodes in a 60 page script there are 12 pages of trauma scenes...last weeks show there were 48 pages. They are the most complicated and technically challenging scenes to do on the show. We were all exhausted.

Question:  Did last week's episode affect you emotionally?  How did you prepare for it?

EdwardsER:  I'm a father and I'm sure all parents' worst nightmare was that experience. I'm just lucky that I get to go home at the end of the day and know that we were just pretending.

Question:  Will Dr. Greene become residing doctor at the hospital?

EdwardsER:  I hope so!

Question:  What is the possibility of Susan and Mark getting together on an future episode?

EdwardsER:  Anything is possible. But what I find interesting about the relationship is that they are close friends and true peers.

Question:  Mr. Edwards, I have enjoyed all your work, Top Gun etc.,  How do you like working with the cast of ER?

EdwardsER:  It's rare that you can work with people who you can honestly say are your friends. The challenge of the show has brought us all very close together.

Question:  Dr Greene seems like a "sensitive type," is this like you in real life?

EdwardsER:  No I'm a puppy-killing brute.

Question:  I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed last week's show.  It made me seriously think about adoption. But, I wanted to know -- is ER like real life? I want to be a doctor and I'm getting weird feelings about it.

EdwardsER:  It's much safer to have a baby now than ever...what happened on our show was a rare exception, but, adoption is a great thing too. If being a doctor is what you think you'll love it won't be a question for you.

Question:  Is it getting easier to learn medical lingo, and did you research your role?

EdwardsER:  The lingo is getting easier but I think the writers are trying to find more obscure medical terms just to keep us on our toes. Yes, I was lucky to spend 20 ODD hours in a couple different LA ERs.

Question:  Do you have an actor or actress who is a role model to you?

EdwardsER:  When I was young Gene Kelly was my hero He could sing, dance and act.

Question:  Did ya'll have any idea that last week's episode would effect people as much as it seems to have?

EdwardsER:  Yes we did. It was a powerful script and we had already suckered in an audience who wanted to see more.

Question:  Has your personal life changed so much that you don't have one?

EdwardsER:  You're assuming that I had a personal life! Truthfully, my personal life hasn't changed. Just waiting in airports is a little more challenging.

Question:  You seem to be a doting father on ER. Do you have any children of your own?

EdwardsER:  Yes, I have a son.

Question:  Has doing the show given you a different perspective on going to the doctor?  How do you/did you prepare for the role?

EdwardsER:  I'm not afraid to ask doctors questions. They can be a lot more accessible than they may appear. The important thing is for you to know what is happening to you.

Question:  Do you prefer working on a weekly television show to doing feature films?

EdwardsER:  I do when 30 million people are watching! It's a tremendous challenge to make 24 one-hour movies in a year. The quality is as good if not better than most of the films I've been involved in.

Question:  How far in advance are episodes written?

EdwardsER:  We keep slipping all year because it takes 8 working days to do an episode. That's why we're repeating for these two weeks and last week's episode finished shooting 13 days before it aired.

Question:  Mr. Edwards, I have enjoyed your work for many years. Two questions 1) Where do you see your character going on ER? and 2) What is your dream film project, i.e subject, director and co-stars.  Continued success to you.

EdwardsER:  I hope he becomes an attending physician in the ER. Right now my dream film project is a pirate movie in the Bahamas.

Question:  Mr. Edwards, I thought you were great in The Sure Thing(for such a small part), do you plan to do anymore features?

EdwardsER:  Yes.

Question:  I work for 6 doctors who say ER is not medically correct and that is the general feeling in the medical community. Does that bother you?

EdwardsER:  We have had quite the opposite reaction. From lots of different medical communities around the country. We have two ER doctors and several ER nurses working on our show every day to make ER as realistic as possible. And as in the medical community, discussion, debate and opinions are rampant. Medicine is a practice and not as clearly defined as many people think.

Question:  I just wanted to commend you on your WONDERFUL episode on 3/9!  It was so real!  I was wondering if it is hard "acting" when the set and blood and everything seems frighteningly real? (At least to us)  Also, what other shows have you done? I WAS CRYING(3/9)

EdwardsER:  When things are real it makes acting easier. I am just a part of the end result that we see on television. We have a tremendous crew that creates the reality and technicians to make it all come together. The thoughts and emotions are exhausting but not as bad as what real docs and nurses deal with every single day.

Question:  Why doesn't your character help out Carter, or even have a student follower of his own?

EdwardsER:  As chief resident, Dr. Greene's responsibility covers a broader spectrum. I like Carter a lot and I hope Greene does get to interact with him more.

Question:  What is your favorite part or scene in ER so far?

EdwardsER:  I love the scene where Carter stood up to Benton and told him that he will be his own kind of doctor.

Question:  Will we see any of the events from last week's episode (when the pregnant lady died) effect Dr. Greene's future?

EdwardsER:  Yes. Every doctor has moments in their career that change them. I think this was one of Greene's.

Question:  The pace of ER is so fast, and you seem to be in almost every scene.  What is your typical work day like, and how have the long hours affected your personal life?

EdwardsER:  I think I have a wife and I swear I have a child....we work 12 and a half hours a day and it is an ensemble, so we get sporadic time off.

Question:  Mr. Edwards, I have been a huge fan of yours since Top Gun. Out of everything you have done, what is your favorite (or most memorable) performance?

EdwardsER:  My favorite film was Miracle Mile, an art film 6 years ago, about the last hour and a half before nuclear missiles hit LA...it's a love story! :)

Question:  How long have you been in the acting profession?

EdwardsER:  Professionally since I was 16.

Question:  What was the name of the show that you were on about 10-15 years ago?  Helen Hunt played your sister, Patty Duke your mother, Richard Crenna your father, and Billie Bird your grandmother. I can vividly remember all of the cast, but not the name.

EdwardsER:  It was called It Takes Two. I was the young man with hair, and Helen was as beautiful as ever.

Question:  Hi Anthony!  My question is: Since I live in Chicago, when and how often does the cast and crew travel to Chicago to shoot those exterior scenes? Thank you--I love the show! Kristi 95

EdwardsER:  We went three times this year. July, December and January. Three days at a time. It's a great break for us to be outside.

Question:  Where do the writers get their ER stories from?

EdwardsER:  From real experiences of ER docs and nurses. Some on our staff and some from research.

Question:  Hey EdwardsER, how do you find the patients for your show?

EdwardsER:  We go out and hit them, and drag them in kicking and screaming. We won't let them leave until they're fixed.

Question:  What is the most difficult thing you've had to deal with personally AND professionally in this crazy business?

EdwardsER:  Getting used to rejection as an actor, and trying to keep the business and the art separate.

Question:  What hospital, if any, is used as a storybed for ER?

EdwardsER:  Lots of different hospitals, not any one in particular.

Question:  Seems like you're working with quite a few people whom you've worked with previously (W.H. Macy, Rick Rossovich, Alan Rosenberg, etc, etc)-- how much input do you and your co-stars have as to who gets a guest shot?

EdwardsER:  I don't have any say but working on such a successful show attracts the highest quality of guest stars. And I'm just lucky to be able to work with them again. As Steven Wright says, "It's a small world..but I wouldn't want to paint it."

Question:  How did you feel about the fact that CBS' Chicago Hope was going to go head to head with ER at the beginning of the season?

EdwardsER:  As an actor, it's hard to feel good about two quality shows having to be put into a win-lose situation...I understood it was good publicity for both shows. And, it looks like we're both going to be around for a while.

Question:  It is truly a privilege to speak with you.  I have long admired your work.  Have you done any stage work?  Do you want to?  And was it fun to do Northern exposure? Keep up the great work!

EdwardsER:  I was theater trained at USC and have done lots of theater over the years. I really enjoyed working with the freaks up in Seattle on Northern Exposure. I made some great friends.

Question:  So, Anthony - welcome on-line! How does it feel to be a sex symbol in cyberspace?

EdwardsER:  Being able to type naked covered in edible oil is a freedom that only cyberspace can give me! OW!  I feel good!

Question:  Are you going to direct any of the upcoming episodes?

EdwardsER:  Nothing this season but I'm sure it would be a great challenge. But speaking of directing...I did direct a kid's movie last year called Charlie's Ghost that is out on video, starring Cheech Marin myself, Charlie Rocket, Linda Fiorentio and other friends of mine who I could get to work very cheaply.

Question:  Anthony, I am interested in how you got into acting and why. Thanks.  You're great!

EdwardsER:  I wanted to be liked. The theater was a place where everybody was welcome size, shape, sex, whatever....and the whole process of putting together shows was fun and still is.

Question:  The show on last week was the most powerful especially where you're involved.  Do you think there will be an Emmy for it?

EdwardsER:  We sure are proud of it, why not?

Question:  Which character did you enjoy portraying the most, Dr. Green, or Goose, and do you think that you might start to incorporate a little more of Goose's personality into Dr. Green?

EdwardsER:  I like Dr. Greene because he's alive.

Question:  Hi!  First, I love the show (and Noah!)   Second- who gets the most fan mail?

EdwardsER:  Noah.

Question:  What or whom inspired you to become an actor?

EdwardsER:  I'm the youngest of five and I saw my brother in a play and it looked like a lot of fun.

Question:  Mr Edwards what do you think separates ER from other hospital shows, such as Chicago Hope or even as far back as St. Elsewhere?

EdwardsER:  I think a show is the extension of the creator. What makes ER "ER" is John Wells and Michael Crichton. Their show is as individual as they are.

Question:  Was the baby in last week's episode real during any part of the show?

EdwardsER:  Yes. When it was in the baby warmer, moving.

Question:  Is ER planning to add new people in the next season?

EdwardsER:  No more than this years variety of recurring guests.

Question:  What is your favorite tv show? You're on ours.

EdwardsER:  I like your favorite show!

Question:  Tony, what significance, if any, do awards and awards shows have to you? I predict an Emmy in your future!  Barbra

EdwardsER:  The People's Choice Award meant a lot by definition. I consider our audience our peers. Thank you!

CSEmcee2:  We have time for one more question tonight!

Question:  Do you think the medical profession is as caring as the show makes them seem? Thanks!

EdwardsER:  Yes, I do. Doctors are not doctors because they have to be. They're there because they want to be. There are always exceptions, but my experience has shown me a vast majority of caring doctors who are trying to make a real difference in peoples lives. We try and do them justice on our show, by showing them in a three dimensional way. We may offend, but we always hope to inspire. Thanks for yappin'! :)

OnlineHost:  Our thanks to Anthony Edwards for appearing online tonight and to NBC Online for making this event possible. Be sure to check for the transcript at keyword: NBC. Thank you and good night.

OnlineHost:  Copyright 1995 America Online, Inc.


Transmitted: 6/13/1997 8:06 PM