by Daniel R. Coleridge
Heads up, ER fans! Next week's issue of TV Guide gives NBC's drama a Jeer for its Jan. 10 episode, when Maura Tierney's Nurse Abby — a recovering alcoholic — had a beer. Since her sudden slip was quite random, and the following week's episode never mentioned it, the scene seemed like a plot continuity hiccup. In an exclusive Q&A with TV Guide Online, Tierney tells how she really feels about Abby's lapse — and her recent romantic waffling. She also revels in being badder than ever in her director-hubby Billy Morrisette's indie, Scotland, PA (opening Feb. 8). Read on for the scoop!
TVGO: Next week's TV Guide gives ER a Jeer for Abby's mysterious beer slip-up.
Tierney: (sheepish) I did fall off the wagon. And it has not been discussed
yet [on air], but it's not something they are taking lightly. I think it's setting
up some [storyline] for her that's going to go into next season. I was very
passionate about, 'You can't have me take a drink and then not respond to this,
because it's too huge.'
TVGO: Why would Abby take a drink now, so out of the blue?
Tierney: Some of the writers sort of said, 'Well, maybe it's just time.' And
I was like, 'You can't do that.' They set up that she really works the program.
She doesn't just not drink; she sells AA really hard to Carter [Noah Wyle].
So it's not casual and it won't be casual. I think they're figuring out what
they want to do.
As far as the story goes, Abby's keeping it quiet. Some of [viewers' confusion] might be my responsibility too, because so many times you see people playing alcoholics and they take a drink so melodramatically — and I wanted it to be more subtle than that. And perhaps I was too subtle about it, and it came off too casual. But I certainly wouldn't tell the person I was drinking with, 'Oh, you know, I've been sober for six years, but now I'm going to drink this beer.'
TVGO: That makes sense. Do you mind that Sherry Stringfield's front-burner
return as Dr. Lewis has taken Carter's romantic focus off Abby?
Tierney: Well, Sherry's back and Tony [Edwards] is leaving, so that's going
to take up time and energy, which everybody knew was going to happen. So it's
not like I'm disappointed. As far as the guy thing went, I sort of like that
Abby's single. In the beginning of this season, I was just ping-ponging between
Carter and Luka [Goran Visnjic] because I don't think the writers were quite
sure what to do. As a woman, I didn't love that. I thought I had to pick one
of them and not play both sides of the fence. The character was behaving in
ways that I didn't entirely respect.
TVGO: How could you, when her life just revolved around these men?
Tierney: Yeah! And she always had her nose in everybody's business. So to be
out of all that romantic stuff is nice. Actually, I think the relationship between
Abby and Luka is more interesting now that they're broken up. They never even
talked to each other when they were together. Now, they talk.
TVGO: Now, the big question... Can ER survive without Anthony Edwards?
Tierney: I don't know. It's shocking that the show is still number one. It survived
Clooney's departure, but Tony is the face of ER. His heart and soul and his
personality is so much of what the show is. It's certainly sad for me, personally.
I don't know how sad it's going to be for America. We'll see if they keep tuning
in! I mean, Noah Wyle's still there!
TVGO: In Scotland, PA, you cuss and plot murder à la Lady Macbeth. We've
never seen you so evil!
Tierney: It was a lot of fun for me. In feature films, I've never gotten to
play a role like that. I don't think anyone would cast me in this, besides my
husband, who knows that [evil] side of me. He's told too many people that half
the dialogue is lines that came out of my mouth — which is true! I don't
think I'm viewed as a sexy person, either. I'm sort of more wholesome or sweet,
so to play a character that puts it out there like that is fun.