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ER News

Michael Michele, ER's pediatrician Dr. Cleo Finch for the past three seasons, has revealed that she's quitting network television's number one series.

The New York-based actress says the main reason for her exit is the demanding commute to Los Angeles, where the NBC medical drama shoots on the Warner Bros. studio lot.

"The traveling back and forth to New York just about killed me," Michele tells the Associated Press. The actress says she's tired of convincing herself she could handle being "on a plane every nine days" for the cross-country trip. "I'm so happy to be home and it was a good, productive three years, but now it's over."

Her final episode will be next Thursday. But unlike fellow ER defector Kellie Martin, who checked out in 2000, Michele's character won't be killed off in case she wants to reprise her role.

The announcement comes just two weeks before the Christmas Day opening of Sony's Ali, in which Michele plays Veronica Ali, the wife of the legendary boxer, portrayed by Will Smith.

Michele's fans may have felt she didn't get her due on ER. After a main storyline featuring a romantic flurry with Eriq La Salle's Dr. Peter Benton, Finch has been glimpsed only briefly in recent episodes, either in a medical-consulting capacity or providing stand-behind-the-man support as Benton struggles for custody of the hearing-impaired boy he believes is his son. But during her three season she was never really front and center in the cluttered ER cast.

Hers is one of several big departures this season. As previously announced, both La Salle and Anthony Edwards, whose Dr. Mark Greene has been a County General fixture since episode one, are also leaving the Emmy-winning Thursday night series, whose behind-the-scenes soap opera is nearly as interesting as the onscreen drama.

Greene, who underwent surgery for a brain tumor, will probably pass away in a big sweeps finale in May, but La Salle will be out the door in episode 10, airing December 13. A spokesman for the production studio, Warner Bros., would not reveal details of Benton's departure, but it is expected to be linked to the ongoing story about the care of his son and not contain any major surprise.

ER, now in its eighth season and contracted to run into 2004, has remained a hit despite the previous exits of high-profile stars including George Clooney, Julianna Margulies, Sherry Stringfield and Martin.

Stringfield returned this season. Her much more mature Dr. Susan Lewis is currently teamed in a low-watt romance with Dr. John Carter, played by Noah Wyle, whose contact runs for another two seasons.

No word on what fate will befall Alex Kingston's Dr. Elizabeth Corday once hubby Greene bites the dust. But life for Laura Innes' Dr. Kerry Weaver is already sexier as she heads into a romance with a glamorous firefighter (guest star Lisa Vidal of Lifetime's female cop series The Division.)

Ming-Na's Dr. Deb Chen, who was on the first season but then left for a while, is still in residency, after it seemed that she'd been gone again at the same time as Dr. Dave Malucci (Erik Palladino) got the boot earlier this season.

And female fans' fave Goran Visnjic is still signed on as hunky do-gooder Dr. Luka Kovac, available for future scenarios about winning hearts and healing wounds.