Gloria Reuben returns to groundbreaking ER role
Gloria Reuben raised more than a few eyebrows in 2000 when she went from the front lines of NBC's acclaimed "ER" to the back line of Tina Turner's rock 'n' roll tour. Now she's starting the new year by stepping forward into her past.
Reuben, who won accolades for her groundbreaking portrayal of Jeanie Boulet, a physician's assistant grappling with an HIV diagnosis, returns to the role Thursday night. She called the experience, which is being billed as a one-time appearance, both emotional and exhilarating.
"It just felt incredible," Reuben said recently in a phone interview from Utah, where she was attending a fundraiser for the Waterkeeper Alliance, an environmental advocacy group for which she serves on the board of trustees.
The actress, who joined "ER" in its second season, added: "Of course, there was a lot of apprehension and anxiety, like returning home after not having been there for so many years. I didn't know what to expect. But when I got there, it was like no time had gone by at all." But much has transpired since she last walked the halls of the fictional Chicago-based County General Hospital. "ER," which just celebrated its 300th episode, is struggling in its 14th season, and some industry insiders predict that the series could reach the finale this year despite a recent infusion of new cast members that includes John Stamos.
And there were few familiar faces to greet her. None of the key cast members who costarred with her were around. In addition to Reuben, the show helped launch the careers of Julianna Margulies, Anthony Edwards and Noah Wyle, and made George Clooney a star.
But she was fueled by her memories. Jeanie Boulet was a first for a prime-time series network television -- a woman stricken with HIV determined to continue with her life and career despite the stigma surrounding the virus. She contracted it from her estranged husband, who had had unprotected sex with another woman.
Easing into the advanced stages of the Boulet character was a breeze, Reuben said. "It really felt kind of great to step back into the shoes of Jeanie. There's no better thing for an actor to ask for than to have the opportunity to step back in time and yet have new dimensions to play."
There's also a personal synergy at play: Her return coincides with Reuben's continued work as an AIDS activist. In the last few years, Reuben has spoken at World AIDS Days. This year, she produced a Showtime project, "Positive Voices: Women and HIV," in which she interviewed several women who are living with or working with HIV/AIDS, and she costarred in HBO's "Life Support," which starred Queen Latifah as a woman with the virus.
