Clooney | [s1e1] George

: Clooney and the cast took pride in the show's realism, often using betting pools to see who could nail complex, jargon-heavy scenes in the fewest takes. Fun Facts & Behind-the-Scenes

: The episode’s emotional core involved the suicide attempt of Nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies). Clooney’s raw chemistry with Margulies was so powerful that producers decided to save her character, who was originally scripted to die in the pilot. [S1E1] George Clooney

: Though he left the show in Season 5, Clooney and Margulies still sign their personal emails to each other as "Doug" and "Carol" to this day. Why It Still Matters : Clooney and the cast took pride in

: Establishing Doug Ross as the "bad boy" of the hospital. : Though he left the show in Season

The premiere was a masterclass in tension, directed by Rod Holcomb and written by Michael Crichton. Key moments for Clooney's character included:

Thirty years ago, a relatively unknown actor with a history of short-lived sitcoms walked onto a chaotic hospital set in Chicago and changed the course of television history. Before he was an Oscar winner or a silver-fox icon, George Clooney was Dr. Doug Ross, the charismatic, rule-breaking pediatrician who made his debut in the landmark pilot episode of , titled " 24 Hours ". A Star is Born (Again)

: Clooney was the set's resident prankster from day one. In one famous S1 mishap, he accidentally shocked himself with a defibrillator while messing around, much to the amusement of castmates like Noah Wyle and Julianna Margulies.