From 1994 to 2005, Noah Wyle was beloved by many as Dr. John Carter on ER, where he earned five consecutive Emmy nominations. After that, however, that sort of recognition has eluded him — until this year, at least. He’ll be up for two trophies when the Primetime Emmy Awards air on the 2025 TV schedule — this time for a different medical drama, The Pitt — and Wyle opened up about how meaningful it is at this point in his career.
Noah Wyle plays Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch on The Pitt — a different character by design from ER’s John Carter — and he’s among those nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama at the upcoming awards show. It won’t be Wyle’s first Emmys rodeo come September 14, but the actor finds himself at a different stage of his life and career 26 years after his previous nomination, which he told People makes the whole thing a bit daunting. He said:
I'm a little different when it hits. It's hitting an older man, that's for sure. And one who's been around now for 30 years and done a lot of different things and has sort of ... I'm overwhelmed by this.
Noah Wyle said he was “annoyingly blasé” about being nominated for his role as John Carter more than two decades ago, because he didn’t realize it would be so long before he got another invitation to the big dance.
Until he was nominated for a 2025 Emmy Award for his role on The Pitt (which can be streamed via HBO Max subscription), he said he thought those days were behind him:
I gave up hope that this was going to be something that my career was going to be part of again, that this focus would beyond my work. It's really amazing.
The actor isn’t taking credit for the recognition he’s received. John Wells, the venerable TV producer behind ER, The Pitt and so many other series, made this all happen (again), according to Noah Wyle, who said:
I go back to giving all the credit to John Wells, who's the true godfather of [ER and The Pitt] and has been the sort of mentor figure to me over two of the most rewarding creative experiences of my life. Anything that I'm doing on this is to please him and to stay under his protective umbrella for as long as I possibly can.
It’s probably safe to say that John Wells is pleased with the actor, as The Pitt has been a hit with general audiences and healthcare workers alike. It has appealed to fans of the horror genre and served as a more-than-sufficient replacement for Grey’s Anatomy fans during the ABC medical drama’s summer hiatus.
The Pitt Season 2 is set to premiere in January 2026, but before then we’ll get to see if Noah Wyle can finally bring home a trophy, when the 77th annual Primetime Emmy Awards air at 8 p.m. ET Sunday, September 14, on CBS and streaming live with a Paramount+ subscription.
