Maura Tierney on cheating, hardest role, and fave leading man

Prolific television, film and stage actress Maura Tierney, 50, was born and raised in Boston and studied acting at New York University. First known for her work on the sitcom NewsRadio, she starred on ER for eight seasons and had roles on The Good Wife and Rescue Me before her current turn as cheated-on wife Helen Solloway in the Showtime drama The Affair. On the big screen, she has appeared in Primary Colors, Nature Calls, Baby Mamaand Liar, Liar, while her extensive stage work includes her 2013 Broadway debut opposite Tom Hanks in Nora Ephron’s Lucky Guy. She divides her time between Los Angeles and New York.


Maura Tierney: The first thing that comes to mind is Rescue Me, because I really, really liked the character that I played on that show. It was after doing ER for so long, and it was really nice that somebody cast me as a completely different character than the one I’d played for eight seasons. She was snarky and irreverent and funny, and I wore awesome clothes. I guess I judge the shows I like by how much I like my wardrobe.

ROLE YOU DIDN’T GET BUT WISH YOU HAD? 

You kinda can’t think like that, because you have to move forward. But early in my career, I really wanted to be in Say Anything. I read for that movie, I’m not shitting you, four or five times. I desperately wanted to be in it. I also read for Jerry Maguire and got really far down the line with that. I read with Tom Cruise. But Cameron Crowe just won’t put me in a movie.

HARDEST ROLE YOU EVER PLAYED? 

Hmmm. Lucky Guy, the play I did with Tom Hanks, wasn’t quite finished before Nora Ephron died. It was a struggle every night to see if I would land it. It wasn’t entirely there, so I had to sweat it, because it was important that it be good.

BROADWAY AND TOM HANKS. ISN’T THAT JUST BEING GREEDY? 

Listen, I throw deep, as Tom Hanks says. I know. Can you imagine? No, you can’t imagine. Our audiences were so dying to see the show. We were sold out every night. The play was wonderful. Every night the audience would leap to their feet the moment it was over. It was something I’ll never experience again.

DID BEING TREATED FOR CANCER AFFECT THE WAY YOU APPROACH ACTING? 

Well, I don’t know. I guess it affected everything, so if you look at it that way, yes. But not really. An interesting thing, though, is that as soon as I finished treatment, the first job I got was with the Wooster Group, which is this very avant-garde theater company in New York, and that experience changed my whole approach to acting.

WITH ALL THOSE SEASONS ON ER, DID YOU LEARN ANY REAL MEDICINE? 

Absolutely not. I don’t even know how to take someone’s pulse. Although I know all the lingo, so I could talk to a doctor about a procedure. But I couldn’t actually do anything. The most might be stitching someone up and leaving them with a really bad Frankensteiny scar.

WOULD YOU EVER HAVE AN AFFAIR? 

Yes. I don’t mean to say that eagerly. But life is really complicated. I was married for 15 years and never did, but I could never say never. I don’t know. That’s why I like the show. It asks a lot of questions.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU FOUND OUT YOUR HUSBAND WAS CHEATING? 

I did find it out with a boyfriend, not my ex-husband, and it was hard. But I remember talking to my mother like 15 years ago. There was someone we knew who had an affair, and the wife took him back. I remember saying, “I would never, ever do that.” And my mother paused, then said, “You know, when you get older, you’d be surprised by the shit you can put up with.” And she’s right. Everybody’s human.

YOU’VE HAD SUCH A RUN OF GREAT LUCK WITH HIT SHOWS. TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THAT? 

Hard work. And talent. [Laughs] Seriously, there were times when I really didn’t work for, like, two years. But I did get lucky, and I think that a good part of that was that I happened to work with really good show-runners. The beginning of my career, I worked with Norman Lear. NewsRadio was created by Paul Simms, a really unique voice and a very strong show-runner. John Wells and then David Zabel on ER. I’ve been very fortunate to work with super smart and talented show-runners, as well as great writers.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A SCRIPT? 

If it’s unique. If it’s a perspective I haven’t seen before. If the female character is not two-dimensional. And I really do think it’s important that there’s humor. Nothing works without some humor.

COMEDY OR DRAMA? 

I’ve been doing drama for so long now, I would love to do another half-hour comedy. I’d love to do a multi-cam half-hour, which is something that’s disappearing.

ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ERASE FROM YOUR RESUME? 

Dead Women in Lingerie. [Laughs]

WHAT WAS THE MOVIE YOU DID WITH O.J. SIMPSON? 

That was my first job. Student Exchange. It had O.J. Simpson, Lindsay Wagner, the Bionic Woman, Captain Stubing from The Love Boat, Gavin MacLeod, Heather Graham, Moon Unit Zappa…

WAS THAT MOVIE UNFAIRLY OVERLOOKED BY THE ACADEMY? 

Ahh, no. O.J.’s work might have been. You know what Jim Carrey said to me? We were making Liar, Liar right around the time of the trial, and I told Jim Carrey, “Y’know, I worked with O.J. Simpson.” He said, “Oh, really? Did he try to cut your head off?” [Laughs]

YOU’VE WORKED WITH HIM, JOHN TRAVOLTA, RICHARD GERE. WHO WAS YOUR FAVORITE LEADING MAN?

Hmm…I’m going to go with Richard Gere, because that was sort of the first big movie I got. I remember walking onto set at Paramount with him, thinking, “I’m walking onto a movie set with Richard Gere!” He was such a movie star. A lovely, charming man and super foxy.

ANYONE YOU WOULD NEVER WANT TO WORK WITH AGAIN? 

Al Pacino, because he just didn’t like me. [Laughs]

WEIRDEST THING YOU EVER READ ABOUT YOURSELF? 

Probably from my time on ER, stuff about fighting on the set that just never happened. But I escape the tabloids for the most part.

WEIRDEST FAN ENCOUNTER? 

Well, there was one guy who used to send me so many letters. They were very nice, but really hundreds of them. Anyway, he suffered from severe agoraphobia, and he was convinced that if I would just meet him somewhere, he would finally leave his house. He also wrote a script for me. It was actually pretty funny.

RED CARPET AWKWARDNESS? 

Well, it’s always funny when people won’t let you go because they can’t figure out who you are. And it becomes an interrogation. It’s kind of amazing when people start getting annoyed at me because they can’t remember who I am. I’m like, “Just IMDB me. I have to go.”

RED CARPET SECRET? 

I should take a class. I feel dorky. I remember going to the Golden Globes and being voted one of the 10 worst dressed, which made me sad, because I liked my dress. But there is nothing natural about that whole experience. It’s so awkward to stand there and hold your body in a way that’s completely unnatural, but that’s what you have to do to look good. It feels really phony and self-conscious.

THING YOU MISS MOST ABOUT BOSTON? 

Oddly, my grandmother’s apartment in the projects. She lived there for 55 years, in Southie, and I went there my whole life. It was just so full of life and stuff from childhood, and I can never ever go back there. The other places I miss I can still go back to.

improper.com

Maura Tierney talks about her new cable drama "The Affair"

Maura Tierney is dipping her toe into unfamiliar waters, and we're not talking about those off the shore of Montauk; the Emmy nominee is heading to cable with The Affair.


Tierney spent almost 10 years on ER, NBC's hit medical drama. Before that there was nearly 100 episodes of the comedy NewsRadio. Stints on Rescue Me, The Good Wife and a short-lived legal drama The Whole Truth followed, but now Tierney is heading to Showtime for the provocative new drama costarring Dominic West, Ruth Wilson and Joshua Jackson.


"Initially, I had really wanted to work on cable television. I was on network TV for about 15 years or so, which I loved. I was on two amazing shows on network, but I've never worked without those kinds of constraints, so I really wanted to work in that environment," Tierney said.


The Affair tells the story of, well, an affair. Tierney plays Helen, the wife to Noah (West), and mom to four kids. The show tells the story of Noah's affair with Alison (Wilson) from their two points of views. And for Tierney, her first cable drama starts off with a bang.

You kick it right off with a sex scene.

Yes, I know, I know! I was more thinking about the subject matter freedom, not that, but that was really interesting to me. Sarah Treem, who wrote it, I think is really talented, she's a playwright. I think she's a wonderful writer. I like that the show is built around the two different perspectives of the two characters.

Will we ever see your perspective?

I believe…I'm not sure because I don't ask any questions. Some of the other cast members ask questions, I don't just because, I don't know, I'm OK not to. But I do believe if the show continues to next season…the viewpoints will expand. Not just to me, but to some of the other characters.


Right. As I watched I was wondering, "How many seasons can this last?"

I think the whole thing is going to be a memory piece. That's what's special about it, I think. I think two things: It's special that it's a memory piece and that it's a difference between a feminine and masculine perspective on events, a memory. I like that.


When I watched, I vaguely knew what the show was about, but I didn't realize it'd be split. Everything, down to the clothes was different.


That's what's fun about it. It's not just they remember different—everything's different. I get to play two different characters, sort of, which is really fun.


Do you prefer one perspective to the other?


I like it when I'm in Ruth's [Wilson] perspective because it's more of a stretch for me. In her character's perspective, I'm very chic and intimidating and kind of cold…It's fun to play. It's not like me, but it's more fun because she's a little bit of a bitch. I like that. Not so much in the pilot, but down the line.


The Affair seems like something I have ever seen on broadcast or cable.


Yeah! I think it's really, really fun.


Is that what kind of drew you to the project specifically?


Yes. I liked the writing a lot and like that I essentially get to play two different versions of the same person.

It's definitely provocative.


Totally.

I think that's the right word.


No, I think it is.

What's your elevator pitch to people?


This is what I say: It's called The Affair, it's about an affair. [Laughs.] It is what I say!

The subject matter, adultery, can turn people off in a way. Did that worry you at all?


No. Does it turn people off?


I feel like it does sometimes. Like, happily married people?


But sometimes happily married people—someone has an affair. There are weird statistics that sometimes when infidelity occurs, the person who cheats says, ‘I was happy in my marriage.' It's a mysterious thing what keeps people together...I think infidelity is difficult, monogamy is difficult and marriage is difficult. It's sort of like, what's that little trip wire that makes the thing happen, that goes wrong?


At this point, do you prefer drama or comedy?


I've been doing dramas for a long time. Actually, this year I was looking to do a comedy. I thought it'd be really fun, that's the stuff I was reading. Then I was offered this role and it was too good to not take. I do miss comedy, yeah. But I try to be funny on the show. You'll see, my character is kind of funny.

TV revivals are all the rage these days.


Mhm.

Would you ever do an ER TV movie?


I mean, probably not. I don't know, it depends on who wrote it...They did it already!


The 20th anniversary is coming up.


Note: This interview occurred prior to the 20th anniversary of ER's premiere in September]

Yeah, but when they ended the show everybody came back. I feel like they did that already.

You never know.   Strange things have happened, especially lately. Do you want to add anything about The Affair?

I think it's going to be a really fun show. The idea is to have the audience not know who to root for, which couples to root for. Hopefully we'll do that and hopefully it'll be fun.


The Affair premieres Sunday, Oct. 12 at 10 p.m. on Showtime. You can watch the first full (edited) episode now below.

eonline.com

Maura Tierney to star in new Showtime drama pilot "The Affair"

ER alumna Maura Tierney is set to star opposite Dominic West and Ruth Wilson in Showtime‘s drama pilot The Affair. 

From playwright and writer/producer Sarah Treem and co-creator Hagai Levi, The Affair is an intense and intimate exploration of two marriages and an affair that disrupts them — with all of the complex consequences that result. 

It centers on Noah (West), a good husband, devoted father of four, and New York City high school teacher whose settled, comfortable world is about to implode when he meets a woman (Wilson) he thinks is his soul mate. Emmy-nominated Tierney, repped by UTA and Untitled, will play Helen, Noah’s college sweetheart, best friend, mother of his children, lover and wife of 17 years. 

Her world will be buffeted by Noah’s infidelity and, over time, she will swing back and forth from understanding to furious, from forgiving to vengeful. Tierney, who recurs on CBS’s The Good Wife, recently made her Broadway debut opposite Tom Hanks in Lucky Guy.

deadline.com

Maura Tierney to debut on broadway in March

Tom Hanks is one lucky guy.

Maura Tierney -- a.k.a. Dr. Abby Lockhart from NBC’s "ER" -- will make her Broadway debut this spring in Nora Ephron’s final play, "Lucky Guy." Tierney will play the wife of Hanks, who will star in the drama about Pulitzer Prize-winningnewspaper columnist Mike McAlary, the play’s producers said on Monday.  

Tierney, 47, may be new to Broadway, but the Emmy Award-nominated actress has logged many hours acting onstage. She appeared in the Wooster Group’s revival of the satire “North Atlantic” in 2010 (which played at Los Angeles' REDCAT). In 2008, she appeared in Nicky Silver’s “Three Changes” at Playwrights Horizons off-Broadway.

More recently, Tierney starred in the revival of Jon Robin Baitz's play "Three Hotels" in 2011 at the Williamstown Theater Festival in Massachusetts.   

On the small screen, Tierney -- who successfully battledbreast cancer in 2009 -- is known for her roles in  TV shows such as "Newsradio” and "The Good Wife." She’s also appeared in a host of films including 1997’s “Liar Liar” withJim Carrey;  2002’s “Insomnia” opposite Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank; and “Baby Mama,” starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler in 2008.

The cast of “Lucky Guy” also includes Peter Scolari, who costarred with Hanks in "Bosom Buddies," as well as Peter Gerety, Christopher McDonald and Michael Gaston.  

“Lucky Guy” will begin previews at the Broadhurst Theater on March 1. Opening night is set for April 1.

losangelestimes

Maura Tierney to reunite with "ER" co-star as guest star on "The Good Wife"

It's an "ER" reunion on "The Good Wife" when Maura Tierney makes her debut as Maddie Hayward, a millionaire business professional who considers giving to Peter Florrick's (Chris Noth) gubernatorial campaign.

In the photos from "And The Law Won," Julianna Margulies reunites with her former "ER" co-star Tierney. It looks like Christine Baranski's Diane Lockhart will also have a meeting with Tierney's character. Take a look at the new photos below.

"The Good Wife" Season 4 premieres Sun., Sept. 30 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/10/the-good-wife-er-reunion-maura-tierney_n_1871336.html#slide=1497254

So nice to see her back and doing so well :).

Maura Tierney talks Stand Up to Cancer telethon

Check out this great MSN video - Maura Tierney talks Stand Up to Cancer telethon

It's so great to see her doing well :).

Why watch "The Whole Truth"

Why should you be watching 'The Whole Truth'? Two words: Maura Tierney.

Yes, the former 'NewsRadio' and 'ER' star Maura Tierney should be enough to get you, loyal reader, to give up an hour of your Wednesday evening to watch 'The Whole Truth' (Wed., 10PM ET on ABC). She's not enough? Fine. What about Tierney's chemistry with Rob Morrow?

Honestly, you could probably put a jar of pickles in front of her and Tierney could make it charming, but when you put her with somebody as charismatic as Morrow, it's TV heaven.

Sure, there are problems with the ABC legal drama. Example: the same defense attorney and prosecutor face off every week. But wait, you probably watch a show where kids break out into song every 10 minutes. This is television -- suspend your disbelief and enjoy the ride.

Right now, 'The Whole Truth' is teetering on the edge of cancellation. ABC is airing a special on the rescued Chilean miners in place of a new episode tonight. It's pulling in around 4.5 million viewers, losing nearly 3 million from its lead-in 'Cougar Town.' For ABC, those are bad numbers. But given time, the series could evolve -- maybe ditch the kitschy little flashbacks to scenes that happened 15 minutes before. However, before it can evolve, it needs viewers. 

If you don't start watching 'The Whole Truth,' we might be lose potentially great characters Kathryn Peale and Jimmy Brogan. You know how 'Law & Order: SVU' has maintained its procedural element, yet we've seen layers develop in Detectives Benson and Stabler? 'The Whole Truth' could do that and more. The characters have a history, let the viewers learn about it. Plus, the supporting players are begging for some background. You know there's more to Sean Wing's incredibly earnest Chad.

The problem with new shows, as we've talked about here on TV Squad, is that sometimes it's cheaper to cancel them rather than let the show build an audience. 'Seinfeld' wasn't a hit from the start. It took seasons -- yes, more than one -- to get to its cult status.

The ratings for the Oct. 6 episode showed a tiny bit of life, they went up a bit, but not enough. Give the show time to evolve, there is a spark in these characters. Plus, given the format, there are tons of opportunities for guest stars. Great guest stars. Judd Hirsch's appearance was quality TV. Tierney's 'ER' pal Parminder Nagra is filming an episode now.

If you love smart character moments, great chemistry between actors and the law in general, then start watching 'The Whole Truth.' Start now.

tvsquad.com

The article pretty much hits all the important points, the most important one being that it is an excellent show that just needs time to develop. 

So please watch!.

Maura Tierney to star in new ABC show?

Call it casting synchronicity.

After Joely Richardson dropped out as the lead on ABC's forthcoming legal drama 'The Whole Truth' earlier this month, the Ausiello Files is reporting that the network is in talks with Maura Tierney to replace her.



Tierney found herself in a similar situation last year when she dropped out as a lead on NBC's 'Parenthood' to undergo treatment for cancer. Lauren Graham was brought in to replace her, and the series has since gone on to moderate success for the Peacock.



'The Whole Truth' promises a different take on legal dramas by building each case with equal emphasis on prosecution and defense. Viewers won't know the truth until the final moments of each episode. If cast, Tierney would star as the Deputy Bureau Chief in New York's DA office, squaring off against Rob Morrow ('Numb3rs') as a rising criminal attorney.

tvfanatic.com

Interesting although I just don't know how to feel about the 'ABC' part. It would be great seeing Maura on t.v. again though.

Maura Tierney on leaving 'Parenthood' and working in a theatre

After wrapping her last full season on the NBC series “ER” in May 2008, the actress Maura Tierney placed a phone call that would prove prophetic.

Eager for a rigorous acting experience after nine years on that fast-paced melodrama, Ms. Tierney arranged to visit the Wooster Group, the New York theater troupe known for experimenting with language, movement and multimedia. She ended up spending two days watching the company’s actors improvise with a Tennessee Williams play, “Vieux Carré,” and left hoping to work with them someday.

A year later, in the summer of 2009, the Wooster Group began planning a revival of its 1983 play “North Atlantic,” an absurdist portrayal of life on an aircraft carrier during the cold war, and reached out to Ms. Tierney about playing the sexually frisky role of Cpl. Nurse Jane Babcock. What no one in the ensemble knew was that Ms. Tierney had been given a diagnosis of breast cancer that June, underwent surgery in July to remove a tumor and planned to begin chemotherapy in the fall.

In her first interview since undergoing treatment, Ms. Tierney said that she quickly accepted the Wooster Group’s offer, seeing it as a chance to challenge herself physically and artistically after cancer. She said she thought that the theater company’s aesthetic, which emphasizes technical precision and stylized line reading over emotionally wrought acting, was a good fit with her mood at the time.

“What appealed to me was that the focus of ‘North Atlantic’ was more about performance rather than emoting, because I was at a point in life where it was nice not to have to emote all over the place,” Ms. Tierney, 45, said during the conversation at a restaurant near her home in Greenwich Village one afternoon before a performance. “North Atlantic,” which had a brief run in Los Angeles in February, concludes its New York run on Sunday at the Baryshnikov Arts Center.

“A theater role was also a much better fit for me last fall than television,” she continued, referring in part to her decision to drop out of the NBC series “Parenthood” last September after her diagnosis. (Lauren Graham replaced her.) “I felt terrible leaving the ‘Parenthood’ team in the lurch, but doing the show would have been very stressful because I didn’t want that phase of my life documented on film. There is no HD in the theater.”

Ms. Tierney lost her long brown tresses to chemotherapy; her hair is now a short salt-and-pepper. (She declined to be photographed for this article but said that the treatment went well and that she was healthy.)

She was also drawn to playing a role that was a sharp departure from the serious-minded characters that she is known for, like Abby Lockhart in “ER” — a recovering alcoholic with a tumultuous personal life and medical career — and her roles in films like “Primary Colors” and “Scotland, Pa.” Only an occasional stage actress, she appeared Off Broadway in the roles of an ex-girlfriend in Neil LaBute’s “Some Girl(s)” in 2006 and a distressed Manhattan wife in Nicky Silver’s “Three Changes” in 2008. She also once played Rosencrantz in Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” at her Roman Catholic high school near Boston.

Nurse Babcock is the most whimsical and sexually curious of the women on the “North Atlantic” warship; she also frequently joins other female characters, played by Kate Valk and Frances McDormand, among others, in a kind of flirty Greek chorus that makes coquettish and lewd comments in unison to the men on the ship.

“What’s been so fun for me is that you learn all of these acting muscles in television, so much that it can become facile, but the Wooster Group’s approach is about letting go of control and just doing the play and not caring about making the audience feel something,” Ms. Tierney said.

Elizabeth LeCompte, the director of the Wooster Group, said in an interview that she did not know who Ms. Tierney was before she showed up at the theater company’s home in SoHo in 2008. Ms. LeCompte, who also directed “North Atlantic” and is known as a tough, blunt-spoken artist, said that she came away from that first meeting feeling that Ms. Tierney was impatient to be tested creatively.

“Our actors were telling her, ‘You have to be able to do everything and anything if you work with us,’ and she just perked up right away,” Ms. LeCompte said. “I remember thinking that she wants that experience, whatever it is. I remember that, and I remember her very beautiful hair, because the next time I saw her she didn’t have any hair.”

Ms. LeCompte and Ms. Valk, two of the founders of the Wooster Group in 1975, said they were a bit worried at first about whether Ms. Tierney was up to the physical rigors of “North Atlantic,” which takes place largely on a stage tilted at a 45-degree angle. But Ms. Tierney was determined to power through, even as she dealt with the death of her father in mid-December during the final weeks of chemotherapy.

“I said to Maura once in January that I found it so moving, the fact that she was working with us,” Ms. Valk said. “And she said, ‘You don’t know how grateful I am to have this play to come to.’ ”

Ms. Tierney said she had no work projects beyond “North Atlantic,” though she has taped appearances on the FX series “Rescue Me.” The Wooster Group experience has been by far her best in the theater, she said, partly because the actors’ collaborative style helped lift the stage fright she felt in other theater work.

“I was often so nervous onstage before this play, and at first I felt like some TV actress dilettante trying to prove that I was up to a theater challenge,” Ms. Tierney said. “But Liz and Kate and Fran helped me to stop worrying, to trust in the collaboration, and that has been incredibly freeing for me.”

nytimes.com

Good to see her doing so well after such a difficult year. Glad to have you back Maura!.

Maura Tierney healthy and returning to t.v.

Maura Tierney has beat back breast cancer and will return to TV as Denis Leary’s love interest in the final season of “Rescue Me.”

As you may recall, the former “ER” doc had to bow out of NBC’s “Parenthood” last summer to undergo cancer treatment. She was replaced by “Gilmore Girls” star Lauren Graham.

The Hyde Park homegal, 45, has “finished treatment and is doing very well and is happy to move forward with the next phase of her life,” her spokesgal Christina Papadopoulos said yesterday.

Tierney has begun filming four episodes for the FX dramedy’s seventh and final season next year. When last we left Maura’s character Kelly McPhee, she had just had a disturbing sit-down with Tommy Gavin’s ex-wife, Janet, and cra-zee galpal Sheila that prompted a re-examination of her romance with Leary’s Tommy Gavin.

Source: bostonherald.com

Maura Tierney on road to recovery and headed to the theatre

Image Source

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Former "ER" star Maura Tierney is headed to the stage.

The actress, who dropped out of NBC drama "Parenthood" last year in order to undergo treatment for breast cancer, will appear in the play "North Atlantic," Variety reported.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: TV's Favorite Doctors

The play - about a peacekeeping group in the North Atlantic on an aircraft carrier -- will also star "Burn After Reading" actress Frances McDormand.

"North Atlantic" will run in Los Angeles from February 10-21 and in New York, from March 10 - April 25.

The Wooster Group will produce the show.

On Sunday, Maura's former "Parenthood" co-executive producer, Jason Katims, updated reporters on the actress' condition.

"She's doing well... She's doing really good," he told reporters at NBC's Television Critics Association panel for "Parenthood." "She's in treatment and I spoke to her a few weeks ago and she's doing good."

That is very good news indeed =).

Source: yahoo.com

Maura Tierney doing well, and returning to t.v. soon

Maura Tierney, who left TV's Parenthoodafter having surgery to remove a breast tumor, may be well enough later next year to return to her other show, Rescue Me.

At a Hollywood Radio and Television Society luncheon for top show producers on Wednesday, Rescue Me executive producer Peter Tolan told PEOPLE he was making plans to bring her back for the seventh season.

"We are just about finished writing the entire sixth season, which is about 10 episodes, and then there are nine more" for Season 7, he says, "so we know we're going to bring back Maura Tierney, because we loved her and she loved us, which is even more fulfilling."

Those episodes will be shot in the spring of 2010, "so she can take care of herself and come back then."

Tierney's spokesperson confirmed that she indeed "would love to come back to Rescue Me if possible."

After a successful run as nurse Abby Lockhart on the NBC drama ER. Tierney appeared in the fifth season of Rescue Me as Kelly McPhee, a love interest for Denis Leary's firefighter Tommy Gavin. In the season finale that aired in September, Kelly seemed to reject Tommy.


People.com

Well it's not an exact confirmation, but I'm glad to hear she's doing well nonetheless :).

I don't really watch Rescue Me, but I'm sure once Maura is well enough she'll have no trouble finding other shows to star in.

Perhaps even one where she is the sole star.

Maura Tierney out of NBC's 'Parenthood'

Photo by: Merritt/Getty

Maura Tierney has bowed out of NBC's "Parenthood," citing her ongoing treatments for breast cancer.

NBC had already pushed back the series from fall to midseason to give the star time to undergo treatments. On Thursday, the Peacock said while Tierney is expected to recover, her treatment plan conflicted with the production sked for the Universal Media Studios dramedy.

"While we are saddened that Maura Tierney won't be able to continue in her current role in 'Parenthood,' our main concern is for her quick and full recovery. Our thoughts and best wishes are with her," the Peacock said in a statement.

NBC plans to recast Tierney's role, which was the cornerstone of the ensemble show revolving around a large family in Northern California. Names on the producers' wish list are said to include Marisa Tomei.

"Parenthood" received strong early critical buzz, thanks in part to Tierney's performance as a single mom struggling to raise two teens. When her illness was disclosed in July, Peacock opted to push the show and move midseason entry "Mercy" up to fall.

"Parenthood," based on the 1989 movie, also stars Peter Krause, Craig T. Nelson, Dax Shepard, Bonnie Bedelia, Monica Potter, Erika Christensen and Sarah Ramos.

The set of "Parenthood" was already rocked last spring, when NBC exec Nora O'Brien died while taking part in the pilot shoot. Production on "Parenthood" was shut down for two days.

Source: Variety.com

That's really too bad, I was so looking forward to this series, and to seeing Maura on t.v. again.

I think NBC is making a big mistake with re-casting the role (obviously they can't wait any longer for monetary reasons).

But I think they'll end up loosing a lot of money in the long run anyway. Since I know for most people the draw to this new show was Maura herself (it certainly was for me).

I doubt many people will watch now that she's out.

I do hope the ongoing treatment doesn't mean anything bad. Get well soon Maura :).

Maura Tierney 'optimistic' about her health scare

FORMER ER actress Maura Tierney has spoken out about the breast tumour which led to her new show being delayed.

The actress, who played Abby Lockhart in the medical drama, recently revealed that she will have to go through an operation to remove the lump.

The 44-year-old she has been assured by her doctors that her condition is 'very treatable'.

She added: "I will not know either my exact diagnosis or course of treatment until that surgery is performed.

"I'm very optimistic as to the outcome and want to thank everyone who has sent positive thoughts and support. I look forward to going back to work soon."

Her latest show, Parenthood, has been pushed back.

Source: thesun.co.uk

Here's to a speedy recovery! =).

Maura Tierney to star in new NBC adaptation

We'd heard that Dirty Sexy Money's Peter Krause was one of the most sought-after men this pilot season (and rightfully so), and he's finally chosen a project: NBC's adaptation of the 1989 film Parenthood. Krause will update the Steve Martin role, a married father with various neuroses. ER's Maura Tierney will play a version of Dianne Wiest's part, his single-mother sister with issues of her own. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Coach's Craig T. Nelson is in talks to play their dad (now a "Vietnam vet-turned-actor/hippie"), Let's Go to Prison's Dax Shepard is in negotiations to play their slacker younger brother, Mae Whitman (Diane Lane's daughter in Nights in Rodanthe) will costar as Tierney's wild teen, and Runaway's Sarah Ramos will be Krause's good little girl.

What are we thinking? Did Krause make the right choice? The show is from Friday Night Lights' Jason Katims, who will exec produce with Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (director and producer of the film) -- so the talent is there behind the scenes. An attempt to bring the movie to the small screen failed in 1990, but as I said when the pilot was first announced, the timing could finally be right: The kids who loved the film are now parents, raising children of their own, and either embracing or fearing the rollercoaster of life.

With the casting of Krause and Tierney, who I trust to know smart comedy (Sports Night, NewsRadio) and good drama (Six Feet Under, ER), I'm in. At least for one episode. Then, it depends on whether Shepard annoys me (I always expect him to, but then he doesn't), and how "hippie" they make Nelson look (not very, I hope).

Source: EW.com

I knew it wouldn't take Maura too long to find a new gig. Though I'm surprised she opted for yet another t.v. series. I guess the movie scripts weren't that great.

Haven't seen the movie the series is based on, but could be interesting. I hope it gets picked up it'll be nice to see Maura on my t.v. on a weekly basis again.

More good news on' ER's final season

Well, it seems that I have one more reason to tune into my favourite medical drama this fall, the wonderful Angela Basset will be joining the cast of 'ER' as a regular.

NBC is certainly doing it's best to give the show new life before it's final curtain call.

The addition of Angela Basset is definitely a good move, and could only mean good things for ER in terms of viewership. According to the Hollywood Reporter Basset will play a "tough attending with a troubled past who's coming back to Chicago after a few years in Indonesia doing tsunami relief. Her arrival in the second episode next season promises to shake County General's ER to the core".

Sounds good to me!.

I've been a fan of hers since her portrayal of Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It. I also loved her guest starring role as CIA Director Hayden Chase on Alias .

If that wasn't enough, Noah Wyle aka Dr. John Carter will be making an appearance as well (here's hoping for the return of some other favourites from the original cast).

Oh, and Abby/Luka fans need not fret, Maura Tierney and Goran Visnijc will be sticking around until early S15 upon which their story line will sadly be concluded.

Still no word on whether the characters will have separate exit episodes.

Just thinking about the end of this show depresses the hell out of me. Thursday nights will never be the same (even if NBC somehow manages to once again pull a rabbit out of their hat and replace it with a decent show). Although I highly doubt it.

'ER' hangs on for another year

Last year there were rumors that season 14 (the current season) which comes back this Thursday April 10th would be the show's last.

Well, that rumor turned out to be just that. According to T.V. Guide.ca and The Hollywood Reporter ER will indeed return for a 15th and final season on NBC.

The news is somewhat bittersweet however, apparently the season will be shortened by 3 episodes. Not that the current one will fare any better in that regard, due toi the WGA strike.

As per ER tradition the new season will welcome 2 new possibly reoccurring characters in the final year. Gotta say from the article description I'm definitely intrigued.

Though personally I'm still eagerly awaiting the conclusion of Abby and Luka's storyline, here's hoping they do not have a tragic ending.

Just once I would like my favourite tv couple to be happy at the end. Although I'm not entirely certain they will.

I also can't wait to see what returning favourites will pop-in as the season draws to a close (so far we've only had Gloria Reuben). I think we can definitely rule out Juliana Margulies (Carol Hathaway), since she's got her own show on FOX. Canterbury's Law which is pretty good actually.

As sad as I will be to see ER go (what the hell will I watch on Thursday nights?!). I really have to applaud it's actors, writers and creators for bringing one of the longest and the best running medical dramas to television.

One thing is for sure with ER gone NBC will have some very big shoes to fill.

Say goodbye to 'Lubby'

I have been hearing rumors about Maura Tierney and Goran Visnjic leaving ER since the end of last year, well sadly it looks like the rumors were indeed true. Both Maura and Goran will be leaving ER sometime next year according to the TV Guide blog.

Both actors are apparently seeking a movie career which of course is impossible with ER's shooting schedule. As a long time ER and 'Lubby' (Luka and Abby) fan this was not happy news.

The characters of Abby Lockheart (Maura Tierney) and Luka Kovac (Goran Visnjic) have always been my favourite. They have been the couple that I've been invested in and rooting for over the past 7 years.

Being a total romantic I cannot wait till the end of this season when we finally get to see the happy couple get married (yay!) and may I add about time!.

Goran and Maura are wonderful actors who have undeniable chemistry, and there's no doubt in my mind even with NBC's uncanny ability to find new cast members that gel well together that their presence will be sorely missed come next year.

There's no word yet on exactly when or how the characters will make their exit (well ok I'm sure there is but I'm avoiding spoilers), and I won't bother speculating. I will say this, no more deaths please! (sorry Maura).

It also remains to be seen whether both characters will leave the show simultaneously, or whether both will have a separate story arc, but we won't have to worry about that till next year.

I'm sure we'll all shed a tear when the time comes, for now lets just enjoy the Abby/Luka goodness in all their soon to be wedded familial bliss.

Oh, I do want to add that even though I will miss their characters immensely I wish both Goran and Maura success in their future movie careers.