Why ‘ER’ Ghosted the SAG Awards Like a Boss in the ’90s (And What It Means for Your Favorite Shows Now)
Added on December 13, 2025 inTV News Cards
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Ever wonder if the stars are sneaking a little Hollywood drama into our lives? As Mercury juggles a cosmic dance with Jupiter today, it seems fitting that we spotlight the irresistible legacy of NBC’s medical landmark, ER, and its spiritual successor, The Pitt. These shows didn’t just stitch up TV drama—they rewrote the rulebook on award-winning ensembles. Remember when Noah Wyle and George Clooney weren’t just names but full-blown cultural phenomena? Well, The Pitt’s recent haul of three Golden Globe nods has all of us wondering—are we witnessing another celestial TV phenomenon? Grab your metaphorical stethoscope; the heartbeat of Must-See TV is alive and pulsating strong! LEARN MORE
Five-time Emmy winner The Pitt has earned three Golden Globe nominations and is a frontrunner for January’s Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA, much like its predecessor, ER. The NBC series, in which Noah Wyle also played a doctor, was the first medical drama to win SAG’s outstanding ensemble in a drama series award.
No show dominated the early years of the SAG Awards like ER did. The NBC juggernaut won four consecutive awards (from 1996 to 1999) for best ensemble in a drama series, along with four individual awards over that span — two each for Anthony Edwards, who led the cast as Dr. Mark Greene, and Julianna Margulies, who played head nurse Carol Hathaway.
The series was one of the biggest hits of NBC’s Must-See TV era and helped make George Clooney (pediatric resident Dr. Doug Ross) an A-list star and launched the career of Wyle (medical student John Carter); the two actors starred alongside Edwards, Margulies, Eriq La Salle, Gloria Reuben, Laura Innes, Sherry Stringfield, Alex Kingston, Maria Bello and others.
Perhaps the best supporting evidence for ER‘s four-year run at the SAG Awards comes from the other series nominated for the drama ensemble honor. In its third consecutive victory, in 1998, ER beat out Chicago Hope, Law & Order, NYPD Blue and The X-Files, all of which are considered among the top tier of 1990s TV dramas.
THR reported in 1998 that, upon winning, “Wyle said the SAG award was ‘tailor-made’ for the cast of the Warner Bros. TV drama. ‘It’s the only award given to actors from actors. It’s a testament to the whole, which is really what our show is about.’ ”
The show would earn three more nominations for the drama ensemble award during its run, tying it with The Sopranos and Game of Thrones for the second most in the history of the awards, behind Law & Order.
This story first appeared in a December stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
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