Most fans of Michael Crichton’s groundbreaking medical drama, “ER,” agree that the show changed forever when Dr. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) died at the end of Season 8. Watching that kind, dedicated, and deeply human doctor — who was one of the most recognizable faces of the show from the beginning — for eight years and then seeing him die of brain cancer really left a mark on the show’s aftermath. It just wasn’t the same anymore, even if it went on for another seven seasons without him.
On the other hand, it was completely understandable that Edwards (as an actor, father, and husband) decided to step away from the role he had given everything to for almost a decade. He explained his choice to the Associated Press, saying, “I think [the 2001-02 season] will be it. It’s been eight years of my family working around my schedule. It’s been a long time playing Dr. Greene” (via ABC News).
In fact, he was more than generous with his decision on how to leave the show. He told the creators and writers two years prior when he wanted to exit the series in order to give them enough time to create a heartbreaking yet deeply compelling arc to Greene’s final two years and eventual goodbye (via Yahoo! Entertainment). We didn’t know at the time, but when Dr. Greene was diagnosed with cancer, that was the beginning of the end for him.
Edwards eventually returned to the small screen
Working in television is a highly demanding job that requires you to live your life on a schedule. Especially in the days when most network shows had 20-25 episodes in a single season, which practically forced actors to be “on call” for the majority of a calendar year. As one of the “ER” leads, Anthony Edwards was certainly one of them and followed a rigorous shooting schedule for nearly a decade until his final days as Dr. Greene on the show.
Once he was done with “ER,” Edwards got out of the TV business for several years. In that time, he appeared in various feature films, including the beloved coming-of-age drama “Flipped.” Then in 2013, he returned to the small screen to star in ABC’s mystery thriller “Zero Hour,” which was canceled after only one season. After that, he mostly took on smaller guest parts in series like “Girls,” “Blue Bloods,” and Showtime’s hit “Billions,” before taking on roles in “Designated Survivor,” “Inventing Anna,” and “WeCrashed.” Edwards certainly seems to have learned to balance his professional and personal time, never taking anything on as demanding as “ER” again — yet always looking back gracefully and paying his respects to the series the made him a star.