While fans may be disappointed to hear that the upcoming season of
ER will be the show’s last, some may find interest in the fact that it will be quite a star-studded 15th season. In fact, NBC announced today that yet another actor is set to join the cast as a guest star, who will take part in a multi-episode arc. In April, the network announced that Angela Bassett will be playing Dr. Cate Banfield in the upcoming season as a replacement for Kari Matchett’s outgoing character, Dr. Skye Wexler. Today, NBC announced that Bassett’s real life husband, Courtney B. Vance will be playing her on-screen hubby, Russell Banfield.
"We are excited to see the on-screen chemistry and emotion this incredibly talented husband and wife team will bring to our show," executive producer David Zabel said in a statement. "Fans are in for a treat and we couldn't be more thrilled that they chose ER to make their first appearance together."
This collaboration will mark the first time Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett will be working together on screen. In fact, Vance is more known for his five-year stint on NBC’s
Law and Order: Criminal Intent, where he played New York Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver, a role for which he earned a NAACP Image Award for the Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series category.
The 48-year-old actor also appeared in the big screen films
Space Cowboys,
The Preacher’s Wife,
The Hunt for Red October and
D-Tox. His notable feature film work includes those in
Hamburger Hill,
Love and Action in Chicago (which he also co-produced) and
The Last Supper. He also had a critically-acclaimed portrayal of Bobby Seale in Panther.
As for his small-screen projects, Vance worked on
The Boys Next Door, the Emmy-nominated TV-movie The Tuskegee Airmen and the feature film
Blind Faith, for which he earned an Independent Spirit Award Nomination for the Best Actor category. His leading role in the TV-movie
The Affair earned him a Cable Ace Award nomination for the same category.
Catch Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett in the 15th and final season of
ER as it returns to NBC in fall.
-Valerie Anne del Castillo, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: NBC
(Photo courtesy of WireImage)