Why George Clooney Left His Role As Dr. Doug Ross On ER

On February 18, 1999, George Clooney said goodbye to his character, Dr. Doug Ross, during episode 15 of “ER” Season 5. At the time, it was reported that his departure coincided with his five-year contract coming to an end. However, expired contract obligations weren’t the only reason behind him hanging up his medical scrubs. In an interview with SFGate, “ER” executive producer John Wells revealed that Clooney’s growing success in the film world was a factor, adding that he lost millions of dollars balancing the show and his movie projects. In 1996, Clooney broke into the film industry with his action horror film “From Dusk till Dawn.” The movie resulted in Clooney becoming an in-demand leading man, starring in movies like “Batman & Robin” and “One Fine Day.”

In an interview with BAFTA’s Life in Pictures interview series, “The Descendants” star said 1998’s “Out of Sight,” filmed during his “ER” tenure, was the feature that kicked off his transition from TV darling to movie star. “People look at it now and think it was a hit. It was a bomb. You know, it didn’t make a dime… but it was a critical darling,” he explained. “It changed my career in terms of from that point on, I was gonna be allowed to make movies. And I wasn’t before that. It was all up in the air of if I was allowed to move from TV to film.”