Eriq Lasalle and Gloria Reuben help make 'ER' a top-rated TV series

Jet, Feb 17, 1997

Eriq LaSalle and Gloria Reuben give television viewers a hectic, sometimes terrifying look at the inside operations of a frantic Chicago hospital in the top-rated series, "ER"

The NBC show, which was television's top-rated program last year and has been at or near the top all of this season, follows the ups and downs of a group of overworked and underpaid residents and nurses at an inner-city Chicago hospital emergency room.

LaSalle plays Dr. Peter Benton, a self-assured, often brooding doctor. His character is the one out of the entire ensemble who fans probably boo and hiss. As Dr. Benton, he rarely smiles, has trouble with his co-workers, superiors, family and the women in his life. But, he's also a character with quiet compassion, a talented physician and dedicated son. He is the doctor who his co-workers as well as patients are never quite sure how to take or what sort of mood will be dragging him down.

In the cast that also includes Anthony Edward, George Clooney, Noah Wyle and Julianna Margulies, Benton is probably the most misunderstood as he rarely allows his wall of defense to come down.

On the other hand, Gloria Reuben, as physician assistant Jeanie Boulet, is very emotional in her caring and sharing. Jeanie is attractive and as dedicated as the physicians she assists.

This season saw Jeanie drop a major bomb on viewers. She found out that she is HIV positive. It turns out she contracted the AIDS virus from her former husband. She had a lengthy relationship with Benton before she found out she had the virus. Both had themselves tested, and his results turned out to be negative. As she expected, Benton didn't exactly embrace her with extreme compassion when he found out her status. The Chicago hospital where they work was thrown into chaos when word began circulating that someone in the ER had the virus.

Jeanie began seeing another doctor, but the relationship immediately soured when she admitted to him that she has the virus. As expected, he began distancing himself from her. With characteristic dignity, she shrugged it off and kept up her professionalism.

Reuben described Jeanie by saying: "She's strong-willed, sharp and intelligent, but, has a dry sense of humor. She knows exactly what she's doing professionally, but she has a nurturing side, too."

LaSalle was not with the cast from the beginning. He wasn't cast until the series had already started filming. "I was surprisingly calm," he recalled. "When casting waits that long, they're basically waiting for someone to come in and take the role. I was ready and completely focused. I came into the office with a stethoscope and surgical greens I had left over from "The Human Factor" (a series on which he'd previously performed). When I left, I wanted them to say, `That's Dr. Benton.'" In three days, they did.

Even though network television has had a slew of television dramas over the last couple of decades, none have hit such a responsive chord with the public like "ER." One of the reasons most often mentioned is that the slow is so fast-paced that viewers never get a chance to get bored. The show also uses multiple story lines involving different doctors and nurses, another way of keeping viewers glued to the set.

In its first season(1994-95), "ER" won eight Emmy Awards. During its second season, it won the big Emmy, being named as Outstanding Drama Series. The series was the brainchild of bestselling writer Michael Crichton, who wrote Jurassic Park and Disclosure.

Gloria Reuben, a native of Toronto, Canada, had a brief modeling career before she relocated to Los Angeles in 1988. She had a recurring role on "The Round Table" and guest-starred on "China Beach" and "The Young Riders." She also appeared on several episodes of another NBC hit, "Homicide: Life On the Street."

She joined "ER" as a recurring guest star who provided in-home care for Benton's ailing mother. Jeanie Boulet was a married therapist who found herself in love with Benton. She became a regular during the second season, and her character ended up as a physician assistant.

LaSalle, a native of Hartford, CT, attended the prestigious Juilliard School of Music and New York University. He appeared in several of producer Joseph Papp's Shakespeare productions. He was a cast member of the daytime drama "One Life to Live." He has appeared in such television shows as "A Different World," "Quantum Leap" and "L.A.Law." He was in the movies Coming to America and Jacob's Ladder and on stage in Two Trains Running.