Doug Ross

Douglas Ross, M.D. is a fictional character from the NBC medical drama series '' ER,'' portrayed by American actor George Clooney. He is a pediatric fellow, employed by the pediatric service, but works in the ER. He is later promoted to a pediatric attending in the ER. He appears from the pilot episode before departing in the fifth season episode "The Storm - Part II". Clooney later made guest appearances in the sixth season episode "Such Sweet Sorrow" and in the fifteenth season episode "Old Times".

Character biography

Doug Ross was raised by his mother, Sarah, after his father, Ray, abandoned their family. In Season 1, Ross revealed to a patient that he had a son, and he tells nurse Wendy Goldman that he doesn't know his son's name as he's never seen him. Not much else is known about Doug's past.

Doug’s estranged son was a large part of the reason that he became a pediatrician. In 2019, ''ER'' executive producer John Wells shared, “Part of the reason why he wanted to become a pediatrician and be around children and care for children is because of his guilt that he wasn’t the person he wanted to be when he had a child as a young man. That was always meant to be part of who was, but we didn’t want to turn it into a Hallmark movie.”

Initially, Ross is portrayed as a womanizer who dates and leaves many women throughout the course of his time on the show. At one point, he has a one-night-stand with Harper Tracy, a medical student who had been tentatively pursued by Dr. John Carter; this leads to a rift between Ross and Carter for a time. His womanizing days abruptly end after an epileptic woman he picks up in a bar has a seizure while he drives her home and eventually dies in the ER. Ross learns her name only after her death, which prompts him to stop sleeping around and make an effort to get back together with Carol Hathaway, the head nurse of the ER at County General.

The relationship between Doug and Carol, which had previously ended on bad terms prior to the pilot episode, is rekindled in fits and starts over the course of the first five seasons. Doug leaves Chicago for Seattle during season five.

Character development

Casting and creation

George Clooney did not receive a casting call for the television series. He received a draft of the script from a friend; he read it and became interested in the part. He said: "I like the flaws in this guy. I can play him."

Characterization

The character was described as "a complicated children's doctor who could be self-centered, quick-tempered, and giving, hitting the bottle to avoid dealing with consequences of his actions."

''ER'' executive producer John Wells originally intended for Doug Ross’ relationship with an unknown son to be a bigger part of his character, saying in 2019, “There are people among us who lose track of their children. eorge and Italked about it at the time. We both know people, know men, who had children that they have no contact with for whatever reason. That’s what we were trying to play with.” However, Doug’s son is only mentioned in one episode of ''ER''.

Until he restarts and strengthens his relationship with head nurse Carol Hathaway, Doug is shown to be a womanizing character who is involved with many women.

Reception

The character of Doug Ross is an iconic and popular character. In 2004, Ross was listed in Bravo's ''100 Greatest TV Characters''. ''Entertainment Weekly'' placed Ross in its list of the "30 Great TV Doctors and Nurses". The character was also included in Fox News' list of "The Best TV Doctors For Surgeon General" and in '' Philadelphia Magazine'' 10 Best Doctors on Television.

Ross was listed in Wetpaint's "10 Hottest Male Doctors on TV" and in BuzzFeed's "16 Hottest Doctors On Television". His relationship with Carol Hathaway was included in AOL TV's list of the "Best TV Couples of All Time" and in the same list by ''TV Guide''.

For his work on the series, Clooney received two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series in 1995 and 1996. He was also nominated for three Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 1995, 1996, and 1997 (losing to co-star Anthony Edwards).

References

External links

Bio
a
TNT.com
* Officia
ER website
a
NBC.com

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Doug
ER (TV series) characters
Fictional pediatricians
Television characters introduced in 1994