for the television series. He received a draft of the script from a friend; he read it and became interested in the part. He said: "I like the flaws in this guy. I can play him." Characterization The character was described as "a complicated children's doctor who could be self-centered, quick-tempered, and giving, hitting the bottle to avoid dealing with consequences of his actions." ER executive producer John Wells originally intended for Doug Ross’ relationship with an unknown son to be a bigger part of his character, saying in 2019, “There are people among us who lose track of their children. [George and I] talked about it at the time. We both know people, know men, who had children that they have no contact with for whatever reason. That’s what we were trying to play with.” However, Doug’s son is only mentioned in one episode of ER. Until he restarts and strengthens his relationship with head nurse Carol Hathaway, Doug is shown to be a womanizing character who is involved with many women. Reception The character of Doug Ross is an iconic and popular character. In 2004, Ross was listed in Bravo's 100 Greatest TV Characters. Entertainment Weekly placed Ross in its list of the "30 Great TV Doctors and Nurses". The character was also included in Fox News' list of "The Best TV Doctors For Surgeon General" and in Philadelphia Magazine 10 Best Doctors on Television. Ross was listed in Wetpaint's "10 Hottest Male Doctors on TV" and in BuzzFeed's "16 Hottest Doctors On Television". His relationship with Carol Hathaway was included in AOL TV's list of the "Best TV Couples of All Time" and in the same list by TV Guide. For his work on the series, Clooney received two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series in 1995 and 1996. He was also nominated for three Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 1995, 1996, and 1997 (losing to co-star Anthony Edwards). References External links Bio at TNT.com Official ER website at NBC.com ER (TV series) characters Fictional pediatricians Television characters introduced in 1994