Acting on ‘ER’ Helped Noah Wyle Unexpectedly in a Real Medical Emergency

In 1994 Noah Wyle made a debut on the famous medical drama show known as ER and received five nominations for the Emmy Awards for the best supporting actor in the TV show.

What many don’t know is that some of what Wyle learned playing a doctor on the set of ER actually helped him potentially save someone’s life off-camera.

What is the medical drama series ‘ER’ about?

Michael Crichton is credited with the creation of the American medical drama series ER. The storyline of the series illustrates the situation of the emergency room in a hospital in Chicago. It explains the life and death of patients. It also focuses on the things emergency doctors undergo. 

The viewers understand the triumphs that emergency doctors go through to save lives. On the other hand, it reveals the devastating moment medics undergo when a life is lost. In some episodes of the drama series, viewers can witness some brutality from some patients.  

Role of Noah Wyle in ‘ER’

Wyle joined the popular medical drama in the year 1994 as Dr. Carter. His first role was a comic relief actor who was anxious and kept messing up things. After a few scenes in the movie, the directors were astonished by his ability to memorize complicated medical jargon. Due to his incredible work, he was given a chance to mature and grow in the show.

Through his role as a leading emergency doctor, he witnessed many traumatizing events from the patients which harmed his life. At some point in the ER drama series, viewers witness him undergoing addiction and rehabilitation. 

He was also stabbed by a patient and had to undergo a challenging recovery. 

How Noah Wyle saved a real medical emergency

Wyle played the role of a doctor for a long time compared to other actors in ER. His role involved impersonating the doctor’s duties and a detailed understanding of various medical terms. Acting as a doctor taught the actor some basics of the medical field.

During the show, Wyle traveled to Africa to shoot an episode of ER. The shoot’s environment was too hot, and one of the on-set medics could not tolerate the extreme temperatures.

According to Mental Floss, the medic passed out due to the suffocating heat, and Wyle responded to the emergency instantly. He grabbed a 14-gauge needle with a working IV and injected the medic.

The medic surprisingly recovered from the suffocation. Wyle stated that he learned the basic medical emergency concepts through osmosis from his role in the medical series. The fact that he is not a trained doctor illustrates the impact of his role as Dr. Carter on the ER series.

His role enables him to understand how to respond to an emergency condition and conduct some first aid strategies such as resuscitation and IV solutions administration.