Noah Wyle, star and executive producer on The Pitt, has revealed that he missed out on roles in multiple films, including one that went on to win several Oscars, because of his busy filming schedule for ER.
During a recent appearance on the Still Here Hollywood podcast, Wyle was asked if “there’s ever been a big role that you wanted that you didn’t get.”
“Yeah, tons. Happens all the time,” the actor admitted. “We talked about a couple of them, actually. Good Night, and Good Luck, George [Clooney] offered me a part in that. I couldnt’ get out of ER to do it. I was offered the part of Private Ryan in Saving Private Ryan; couldn’t get out of ER to do it.”
Wyle starred on the long-running medical drama for 11 seasons, from 1994 to 2005, and later returned for several episodes in seasons 12 and 15. Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan was released in 1998 and won five Academy Awards. As for Good Night, and Good Luck, Clooney, who also starred on ER for five full seasons, directed and played Fred Friendly in the 2005 film. The latter also received six Oscar nominations.
Looking back on the projects, Wyle doesn’t fret too much, as he had nothing but praise for the actors who ultimately landed the roles he had to pass on.
“I almost am glad that I didn’t do them, because, you know, those guys made those parts,” he said. “Matt Damon was Private Ryan. There were two. I got offered the part of Upham, which was Jeremy Davies’ part, and he was so phenomenal in that I couldn’t imagine doing anything close to what he did.”
Now, Wyle plays Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch on The Pitt, which has become a critical success, winning five Emmys for season one, including best actor in a drama series for Wyle. Season two of the HBO Max series was also a frontrunner heading into the 2026 Emmy nominations.
