Alex Kingston admits she struggled with move to L.A. after landing ER role
The actress reveals she feared being dropped after her first season on the hit drama
Alex Kingston has revealed she once feared joining ER was “the biggest mistake” of her life, admitting she initially struggled to adjust to life in Los Angeles after landing her breakout role.
The British actress, 63, rose to international fame in 1997 when she was cast as Dr. Elizabeth Corday on the long-running medical drama. However, the move from the U.K. to the U.S. proved more challenging than expected.
“I wasn’t particularly happy to begin with,” Kingston told The Telegraph. “It was a massive change, and I kept thinking I’d made the biggest mistake of my life.”
She recalled feeling out of place in Los Angeles, describing the city as lacking the cultural and historical familiarity she was used to. “I was walking around, going:
‘Where’s the culture? Where are the historical buildings?’ I felt like I was in some sort of giant mall,” she said, adding that it took time to adjust and find her footing.
Despite her early doubts, Kingston went on to become a core cast member, appearing in around 160 episodes before her character exited the series in 2004.
Still, she admitted she initially believed her time on the show would be short-lived.
“I kept thinking they’d made a mistake and would soon realise it,” she said. “I was convinced after the first season my contract would be terminated.”
Instead, her role was renewed, and Kingston said she ultimately felt embraced by the cast and crew. “I loved ER, but the workload was intense,” she added.
The actress also reflected on lasting friendships from the show, including with co-star Laura Innes, and praised Noah Wyle, noting his ability to still recall extensive dialogue from the series.
Beyond her acting career, Kingston recently opened up about her health, revealing she was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2024.
She underwent a hysterectomy and radiation therapy after initially mistaking symptoms such as bloating and fatigue for signs of aging.
“It was a shock,” she said, explaining she had not considered cancer despite warning signs, until a severe incident during a stage performance prompted further investigation.