10 Insane TV Plots That Almost Happened
5. Carol Was Meant To Die Of An Overdose In ER’s Pilot
Julianna Margulies' performance as Carol Hathaway helped put her on the map, and it's next to impossible to imagine ER without her. Her on-screen chemistry with George Clooney's Doug Ross is one reason the series was so successful, but it almost never came to be.
Originally, Carol Hathaway was destined to die in ER's pilot episode. When Margulies took the job, it was as a limited guest role — not as a series regular. Clooney believed the character might endure, but there was no guarantee of that because, according to the script, she was meant to die.
Halfway through the pilot, Carol leaves the hospital with some drugs only to return as a patient. Her diagnosis is grim, and all indications are that she will die of a drug overdose. Medically, that's what should have happened, but in the end, she survived.
Ultimately, the pair's onscreen chemistry worked well with test audiences, so Margulies was allowed to stay. She was switched from a guest star to a starring role, which she kept for six seasons. She won an Emmy Award for her performance but ended up walking away from a $27 million offer to remain for two more.