Aging NBC medical drama ER has been infused with some new blood and some old blood this season, thanks to Erik
Palladino and Ming-Na.
Producers hope the hunky Palladino will help fill the void left by anti-hero George
Clooney, but the actor says his character, the often-offensive Dr. Dave, is just "a young guy trying to make his mark."
Unfortunately, some fans don't seem to understand that. "They get mad. I think because television comes into people's homes [they feel as if] you're part of their family. So they have that kind of visceral reaction and they carry it all the way to the mall, you know?"
Ming-Na, who some ER buffs may remember as Deb Chen from the show's first season, is pleased to be returning to the top-rated show on TV. Why the sudden re-emergence? "I'm not sure," she says. "It'll be fun to explore that. As
long as I'm back, that's all I care [about]."
We, however, are curious about the fact that Ming-Na has dropped her last name, Wen, from her stage moniker. "I felt like Ming-Na was distinctive enough that it was OK to drop
[Wen]." Her shortened handle, she explains, is "like Ann-Margret — with the dash. That's what I try to tell people." Adds a sarcastic Palladino: "Well, at least she's not a symbol."
Any chance sparks will fly between Deb and Dave? "[The producers] are kind of like the FBI they don't tell us a lot," Palladino
says. "They don't tell us anything, to be honest with you."