ANTHONY EDWARDS

A two-time Emmy nominee who performs out of sheer enjoyment of his craft, Anthony Edwards shares the quality of dedication with his "ER" character, an overworked emergency-room doctor.

"Dr. Greene is a person who went into medicine because of his love for it," says Edwards, who spent time in emergency wards to research his role. "Doctors get into emergency rooms to work because they're the cowboys of medicine. They have no idea what's going to come through the door. They are forced to make split-second decisions in an effort to save lives. Dr. Greene is the kind of doctor who loves what he does -- which is what you definitely want if you are a patient."

Edwards was born and raised in Santa Barbara, Calif., the youngest of five children (his mother is an artist; his father, an architect). His desire to act was developed in the theater, and by age 16 he had appeared in dozens of musicals and plays. After high school he attended a summer workshop at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. He returned to study at the University of Southern California for two years, during which time he won roles in such feature films as "Heart Like a Wheel" and "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." In 1982 he left USC when he was cast in the series "It Takes Two," starring Richard Crenna, Patty Duke and Helen Hunt (NBC's "Mad About You"). He continued amassing feature credits, such as "Revenge of the Nerds," "Gotcha!" and "The Sure Thing."

In 1986, Edwards played a doomed fighter pilot in "Top Gun," a huge commercial hit that gave him an opportunity to do more risky creative roles in such features as "Miracle Mile," "Mr. North" and "Hawks." His most current feature is "The Client." On television he had a recurring role as a hyperallergic lawyer in 10 episodes of "Northern Exposure," and he starred opposite Hunt again in "Sexual Healing," a one-hour special that earned him a CableACE nomination as Best Actor. This past summer, he starred in the upcoming TV miniseries "In Cold Blood." On stage he appeared in "Harvey" and "Black" in the Williamstown Theatre Festival; in "Grand Junction" at the Coast Playhouse; in "Daniel in Babylon" at the Las Palmas Theatre in Los Angeles; and off-Broadway in "Ten Below" at the WPA.

For his work on "ER," Edwards earned a People's Choice Award as Favorite Male Television Performer in a Series, and was nominated as Best Actor by Viewers for Quality Television. He is an honorary board member of Access Theatre, a repertory acting company composed of disabled artists. A documentary he directed about this group has received several awards and is being distributed in high schools around the United States. He also directed the feature film "Charlie's Ghost Story," a modern-day Mark Twain adaptation starring Cheech Marin, Charles Rocket and Linda Fiorentino. In 1996, Edwards became the first "ER" cast member to direct an episode of the drama series.

In his leisure time, Edwards enjoys playing tennis and staying at home with his wife, Jeanine, their young son, Bailey and their younger daughter, Esme. Edwards' birthday is July 19.