The actor looks back on his time playing Dr. John Carter on the NBC medical drama and his crossover with 'Friends'

The star tells PEOPLE he didn't want to "risk ruining the legacy" of 'ER'Over 30 years after Noah Wyle first broke out onscreen as Dr. John Carter on the hit NBC series ER, the Emmy-nominated actor is back in scrubs for The Pitt.

While Noah Wyle starred as Dr. John Carter on ER for 12 seasons, his kids have yet to binge-watch the hit NBC medical drama. "Neither one of my older kids have watched. They've watched more Grey's Anatomy than they have ER.

Former “ER” star Noah Wyle has put his stethoscope back on to play Dr. Robby in Max’s “The Pitt.” The actor believes his new show helps to empower the audience when it comes to their own health care.

In August 2024, the estate of the late author Michael Crichton sued the creators of “The Pitt” on three counts, including breach of contract. The plaintiffs allege that the HBO medical drama, which premiered in January, is an unauthorized reboot of “ER,” which was created and executive produced by Crichton and ran from 1994 until 2009.

SPOILER ALERT! This story contains details from the latest episode of The Pitt on Max. Okay no one expected this kind of trauma in the ER. On the latest episode of the medical drama from John Wells and R.

A lawsuit filed by the estate of Michael Crichton over the alleged similarities between “ER” and the new Max medical drama “The Pitt” has been allowed to proceed, a judge

Elsewhere in the episode, in the aftermath of Doug Driscoll ( Drew Powell ), an impatient man in the waiting room, punching Dana ( Katherine LaNasa ), the charge nurse shocks everyone by walking into the ER bleeding. Once she’s cleared medically, however, she insists on getting back to work rather than leave early and go home.

During the early days of Noah Wyle's time on ER, he and costar George Clooney also guest-starred in an episode of Friends, making for a very cheeky crossover for the two popular NBC shows.

Former "ER" star Noah Wyle has put his stethoscope back on to play Dr. Robby in Max's "The Pitt." The actor believes both shows help to empower the audience when it comes to their own health care.