“Hey, you're that guy!” ER Alum reflects on fan recognition nearly 20 years after they were killed

Medical dramas are as popular today as ever before, ranging from long-running series Grey’s anatomy on ABC to freshman hits like Zachary Quinto is emotional Brilliant minds on NBC. It doesn’t matter how many new series premiere in the genre, but the legacy of ER with its fast pace, stacked cast and list of celebrity cameos remains strong after its 15-season run from 1994-2009. Sharif Atkins, who played Dr. for five seasons. Michael Gallant spoke to CinemaBlend about still being recognized nearly two decades after his character’s tragic end.

Atkins returned to the world of medical dramas in the fall TV program 2024 as a guest star on NBC’s hit Chicago Medand he opened about the “heartbreaking story” in his episode. He also got roles in a number of shows in between ER death in 2006 and arrival in One Chicagoincluding returning to NCIS: Hawaii and starred in all six seasons of White collar. As a lover of ER But from before, I had to ask the actor if he will ever be recognized as Dr. Gallant, and he said:

Yes, that’s me! Especially if the episodes are rebroadcast. I believe there is a channel called Pop where they rebroadcast some episodes of ER. Very similar to some of the other work I’ve done – I think Criminal Minds is another show where they repeat the few episodes I did there. You notice that when it’s replayed, suddenly the “Hey, you’re that guy from (ER)!” (reactions) will come into play in the coming weeks or months.

Considering I always think about it ER every time I see Sharif Atkins appear on another show, I can’t help but hear the “Hey, you’re that guy!” reactions from fans who encounter him in real life. The actor is credited with 60 episodes of the medical drama, in which he starred as a series regular from seasons 8 through 10 and then returned in seasons 11 and 12.

I noted to Atkins that viewers are still discovering, too ER thanks to all fifteen seasons becoming available via streaming with a Hulu subscriptionand he replied:

They gobble it up. They get to seasons 8, 9 and 10, and then they’re like, ‘Hey, look at Dr. Gallant!’

Fans who only watched those seasons with Sharif Atkins as a regular knew Gallant as a skilled emergency room doctor at County General who was also a member of the U.S. Army Reserve. Sadly, his end would come after he was called to serve in Iraq, and Gallant was killed in the penultimate episode of season 12. ER had a talent for delivering deaths to break the hearts of fansand Gallant was no exception.

However, there was a lot to love about the character prior to that heartbreak, including a memorable scene between him and Carter (Noah Wyle) in Atkins’ first season of the show. Take a look:

Fortunately, for those with a Hulu subscription, it’s not difficult to rewatch Sharif Atkins’ seasons ER. If you’re not a subscriber, reruns also air regularly on Pop TV, as the actor noted. If you’d like to check out his return to the medical drama genre from earlier this fall, you can find his episode of Chicago Med streaming with a Peacock subscription.