Sam Rockwell reveals he auditioned for Noah Wyle’s role in ER: Here’s why he didn’t get it

Before taking on the role of Dr. Robby in HBO Max’s The Pitt, Noah Wyle played a doctor for 11 years in NBC’s hit medical drama ER. The show, which aired from 1994 to 2009, is still remembered for Wyle’s iconic performance as John Carter.

However, he was not the first actor who auditioned for the role. Academy Award-winning actor Sam Rockwell has revealed that he had auditioned for John Carter’s role in ER. However, the audition was so bad that he did not land the role.

Wyle eventually landed the role and won several accolades for it over the years. Coincidentally, both Wyle and Rockwell have earned Emmy nominations this year for their shows, The Pitt and The White Lotus, respectively.

Sam Rockwell talks about his poor audition for ER

Recalling the experience, Sam Rockwell said he went for the ER audition wearing a lab coat and holding an injection, which probably left the show’s producers shocked:

“I came with a lab coat and a hypodermic [needle]. But not the needle part, just the plastic part.”

Rockwell added that while he thought he aced the audition, the producers were likely put off by the hypodermic:

“[I] thought I nailed it... It's almost like I brought a gun to an audition. They were looking at me with this hypodermic thing... There was no needle! Just to be clear. I'm not that crazy.”

Though Rockwell missed out on starring in ER, that did not stop him from having a remarkable acting career. He has several acclaimed film and television credits to his name, including The Green Mile, Jojo Rabbit, Fosse/Verdon, Prince Street, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, for which he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

The role eventually went to Noah Wyle, who appeared as a series regular on ER for 11 out of the 15 seasons. John Carter is introduced in the show as a third-year medical student. At first, he wants to become a surgeon, but later, he decides to work in emergency medicine because he wants to spend more time helping patients. To switch, he agrees to work without pay since he comes from a rich family.

Over time, Carter becomes more confident and caring. In Season 6, a mentally ill patient stabs him and medical student Lucy Knight. He suffers from pain for the rest of his life and becomes addicted to pain medicine, eventually getting into rehab. Over the years, he built a clinic in Chicago and later moved to Africa to start fresh.

16 years after the show’s conclusion, Wyle played the role of a doctor again in HBO Max’s The Pitt in 2025 and once again impressed the audience. The same year, Sam Rockwell appeared in another hit HBO show, The White Lotus Season 3. His performance and an unexpected monologue became one of the highlights of the season.

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Wyle has now earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, while Rockwell has been nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category.

All seasons of ER are streaming on Hulu.

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