There’s so much to an actor’s career in Hollywood than the money that they make. This is the case, at least, for ER alum Julianna Margulies. During a recent interview with Oprah Winfrey, the veteran actress explained why she refused to reprise her role as Carol Hathaway on ER for two more seasons even though she was offered $27 million.
The Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life author revealed that she opted to follow her heart and one book that she found at the Bodhi Tree Bookstore in Los Angeles encouraged her to do so.
“I had heard a friend got some spiritual books and I had been studying some Buddhism, so I went [to the bookstore]. And I ran my finger down a shelf and I picked out a book, Awakening the Buddha Within,” she said. “I brought it home and I said nothing. I walked into my bedroom, I opened the book, I closed my eyes, and I [pointed to a line in the book]. And I opened my eyes and the line was, 'I knew I wanted to learn more, not earn more,’” she added.
Margulies was initially tapped to star in ER as a guest star. But George Clooney called her and discouraged her from taking other acting gigs.
The actress didn’t think that it was possible for her to become a series regular in the medical drama because her character was already killed off. Additionally, she had already filmed two episodes for Homicide: Life on the Street.
But it all worked out for the actress in the end. She eventually became a regular in ER and was part of the hit TV series for six seasons.
In fact, ER was such a huge part of the actress’s success in the industry. After all, she earned an Emmy in 1995 for supporting actress in a drama series.
The TV show also helped the actress reach her whopping $22 million net worth. For every episode of ER that she starred in, Margulies reportedly made thousands.
She also made $180,000 per episode when she starred in The Good Wife. Unfortunately, the series was canceled after seven seasons in 2016.
However, the actress still has other sources of income. She will soon release her memoir, Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life. She will also star in the second season of The Morning Show alongside Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.
Source: People, Celebrity Net Worth