E.R. pulls plug on British actress Kingston

LONDON – British actress Alex Kingston will hang up her scrubs, having been tossed off E.R., she says, to allow room for new blood.

Kingston told her home country’s Radio Times magazine that she has been shown the door after seven-plus years of surgery and romance on the hit NBC medical series because “apparently, I, according to the producers and the writers, am part of the old fogies who are no longer interesting”. She’s 41.Kingston, who plays the widowed surgeon Elizabeth Corday, said she was “shocked and upset” when she learned her contract would not be renewed.Kingston joined NBC’s Emmy award-winning show in its fourth series, broadcast in 1997-98, and became one of the main characters, starring alongside George Clooney.She said she had grown “unhappy” with the show and felt her character was being used less and less.”There was a point where I had to find out what was going on and that was when the producers said they would no longer renew my contract,” she said.”It was a shock and upsetting, but it is just your ego that is upset.”However, she still seemed miffed about the ageism factor: “In that respect, it’s a shame.It’s fine to have young med students, but you need to have figures of authority, people of different ages, races, shapes and sizes.”Kingston said her US$150 000 an episode salary may have made her too expensive.”I am sure there must have been some financial feeling behind the decision not to renew my contract.”In a statement on Monday, the show’s executive producers and production company Warner Bros said: “Alex Kingston has been an integral part of E.R. for the past eight years.She is a gifted actress and a true professional.Like countless other characters on long-running series storylines run their course over time,” the producers said.By late Monday, Kingston was backpeddling, saying the whole ageism thing was a joke gone too far.”I would like to clarify my feelings regarding my departure from E.R.,” she said in a press release issued by publicist Jazmine Valte.”Statements from an interview I recently gave were spoken tongue in cheek and unfortunately have been taken out of context.I regret if these statements have affected the producers, as we are in mutual agreement that the storyline for my character had run its course.”- Nampa-Reuters, E! OnlineShe’s 41.Kingston, who plays the widowed surgeon Elizabeth Corday, said she was “shocked and upset” when she learned her contract would not be renewed.Kingston joined NBC’s Emmy award-winning show in its fourth series, broadcast in 1997-98, and became one of the main characters, starring alongside George Clooney.She said she had grown “unhappy” with the show and felt her character was being used less and less.”There was a point where I had to find out what was going on and that was when the producers said they would no longer renew my contract,” she said.”It was a shock and upsetting, but it is just your ego that is upset.”However, she still seemed miffed about the ageism factor: “In that respect, it’s a shame.It’s fine to have young med students, but you need to have figures of authority, people of different ages, races, shapes and sizes.”Kingston said her US$150 000 an episode salary may have made her too expensive.”I am sure there must have been some financial feeling behind the decision not to renew my contract.”In a statement on Monday, the show’s executive producers and production company Warner Bros said: “Alex Kingston has been an integral part of E.R. for the past eight years.She is a gifted actress and a true professional.Like countless other characters on long-running series storylines run their course over time,” the producers said.By late Monday, Kingston was backpeddling, saying the whole ageism thing was a joke gone too far.”I would like to clarify my feelings regarding my departure from E.R.,” she said in a press release issued by publicist Jazmine Valte.”Statements from an interview I recently gave were spoken tongue in cheek and unfortunately have been taken out of context.I regret if these statements have affected the producers, as we are in mutual agreement that the storyline for my character had run its course.”- Nampa-Reuters, E! Online