Celebrities — they flop just like the rest of us! Sam Rockwell proved just how relatable he can be during a recent roundtable discussion on Entertainment Tonight while promoting his latest animated feature, The Bad Guys 2.
When Rockwell and his costars Awkwafina, Anthony Ramos, and Marc Maron were asked to share early career auditions they “likely bombed,” Rockwell wasted no time revealing that he had auditioned for a role on ER that didn’t go very well.
The Oscar winner explained that he came in to audition for the part of third-year medical student John Carter, but likely freaked out producers with his choice of attire.
“I came with a lab coat and a hypodermic [needle]. But not the needle part, just the plastic part,” the actor recalled to the laughter of his costars.
The Iron Man 2 star admitted that he “thought I nailed it,” but realized the producers were not as enthused. “It’s almost like I brought a gun to an audition,” Rockwell quipped. “They were looking at me with this hypodermic thing… There was no needle! Just to be clear. I’m not that crazy.”
Still, he didn’t land the gig. The role ultimately went to Noah Wyle, who played Carter as he worked his way up from med student to attending. He departed as a series regular after 11 seasons of the acclaimed drama’s 15-season run.
During his tenure on NBC’s Must-See TV staple, Wyle earned five consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series from 1995 through 1999.
Last month, Wyle earned his first Emmy nomination in 26 years for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama for his role as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch on HBO Max’s The Pitt.
It’s the first ever nomination in the category for the star and executive producer, who faces Sterling K. Brown (Paradise), Gary Oldman (Slow Horses), Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us), and Adam Scott (Severance) in the category.
Coincidently, Rockwell also nabbed an Emmy nod this year. He is up for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Frank on The White Lotus season 3. Rockwell joined the show midseason to deliver a jaw-dropping, sexually charged monologue, ultimately playing a significant part in the evolution of Walton Goggins‘ character, Rick, Frank’s close buddy.
“Sam is one of my best friends,” Goggins told Entertainment Weekly following Rockwell’s surprise appearance on the series. “I was nervous that Sam was going to do it, and relieved that Sam was going to do it.”
“We know each other’s ticks, and he’s my hero,” he explained. “I don’t want to let him down. But I want to play with him. And two minutes into the first conversation we had, it was like, ‘Ohhhh, okay, now we can go anywhere, now we can do anything.’ It was the best time that I had really working on all of The White Lotus, working with him and those scenes.”
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Now Wyle and Rockwell, the Dr. Carter that never was, have the chance to do the funniest thing when the 77th Emmy Awards, which will be hosted by Nate Bargatze, air Sunday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ABC.
See the full list of this year’s nominations here.
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