Julianna Margulies and George Clooney may have played lovers on the classic TV show ER, but they never got together in real life. And the actress says the duo are extremely happy with that decision to this day.
Visiting the Armchair Expert podcast with Dax Shepard and Monica Padman for Monday’s episode, Margulies expanded on past remarks about her and Clooney’s mutual crush during their time on ER.
Margulies told the co-hosts a fling with Clooney, whose star skyrocketed while he was on the NBC drama, may have been fun “until I became an adult,” but when she reached 35, “I would have wanted him to show up.”
Margulies said nothing ever happened between the two — who are dear friends to this day — and they are thoroughly pleased with that outcome.
“We always joke that thank God nothing ever happened because now we can remain friends for the rest of our lives,” she said. “As he used to say, ‘You don’t shit where you eat.’ What he meant by that was the famous story about Moonlighting with Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd. They had sex on the pilot. And then the show got picked up — and then they hated each other. Or David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson [on X-Files]. The same thing happened. And then they hate each other and you’re stuck on a show for seven years together. That’s agony. Life’s too short.”
Plus, not giving into their real-life feelings made their characters’ connection more believable, Margulies said. “You just want to have the crush keep going and going. And that’s what worked,” she said. “And also, he’s just a super awesome human being, and I love him.”
