Who’s Still Alive From ‘St. Elsewhere’ and Where Can You Meet Them?
St. Elsewhere, which ran on NBC from 1982 to 1988, was more than just a medical drama. It followed the lives of the staff at St. Eligius, an old teaching hospital in Boston, and used storytelling and dark humor to break new ground on television’s small screen. Created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey, the show earned 13 Emmys and became a template for many later medical dramas including ER, Grey’s Anatomy and House. In honor of the series, let’s find out who is still alive from the main cast and remember those we have lost.
And if you’re a super fan and live in southern California, you’re in luck: The next Hollywood Show is set for September 5 and 6, 2025, at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel in Burbank, California. This multi-fandom event gives fans a rare opportunity to meet stars in person, and it’s already confirmed that several St. Elsewhere alumni will be attending. Fans can look forward to seeing Ed Begley Jr., David Morse, William Daniels, Bonnie Bartlett and Eric Laneuville in the autograph and photo session areas.
Ed Begley Jr. (75)
Dr. Victor Ehrlich
NBC/Courtesy: Everett Collection; Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Begley Jr. earned six consecutive Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination for his role in St. Elsewhere before going on to a prolific career in stage, television and film. Some of his best-known work includes roles in This Is Spinal Tap, An Officer and a Gentleman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, Mascots, Pineapple Express, Ghostbusters, Strange Darling and a recurring part on Young Sheldon. His most recent project is the dark workplace comedy Don’t Tell Larry, which premiered in June 2025.
Outside of acting, Begley has become one of Hollywood’s most visible environmental advocates. He co-hosted the green living reality series Living with Ed from 2007 to 2010, and later appeared in On Begley Street, which documented the building of his eco-friendly home. He has written two books on sustainable living and serves on the boards of several environmental organizations.
Christina Pickles (90)
Nurse Helen Rosenthal
NBC/Courtesy: Everett Collection; Unique Nicole/Getty Images
After her stint on St. Elsewhere, Pickles became known to a new generation as Judy Geller on Friends. On Broadway, she appeared in productions such as The Misanthrope and Sherlock Holmes, and she worked steadily in daytime television on shows including Guiding Light and Another World.
Her film credits include roles in Masters of the Universe, Legends of the Fall, Romeo + Juliet and The Wedding Singer. She has also been a familiar face on television in guest spots for How I Met Your Mother, JAG and Get Real. In 2018 she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for her role in the web series Break a Hip, where she played a witty retired English actress rediscovering her creative spark. She has kept a lower profile in recent years.
David Morse (71)
Dr. Jack “Boomer” Morrison
Everett Collection; Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival
Following the series, Morse took on memorable film roles including The Indian Runner, 12 Monkeys, Contact, The Rock, The Green Mile, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Disturbia and Concussion. He also ended up on a second TV medical drama — he earned a recurring role as Detective Michael Tritter on House, receiving an Emmy nomination.
The following year, he was nominated for another Emmy for portraying George Washington in the HBO miniseries John Adams. In 2002 he starred in the TV series Hack as a former cop turned cab driver. From 2010 to 2013, he took on a gritty role in Treme as Terry Colson, a dedicated police officer in a corrupt New Orleans environment and most recently appeared in The Last Thing He Told Me.
William Daniels (98)
Dr. Mark Craig
NBC/Courtesy: Everett Collection
After the series, Craig became a millennial TV legend for his run as the beloved Mr. George Feeny on Boy Meets World, earning accolades and reprising the role in Girl Meets World. He also voiced K.I.T.T. on Knight Rider, played John Adams in the musical film 1776 and portrayed Benjamin Braddock’s father in The Graduate. His long and distinguished career includes serving as President of the Screen Actors Guild from 1999 to 2001, during which he led the union through a major commercial actors’ strike. He recently celebrated his 98th birthday, enjoying peace and quiet with family and his wife of over 70 years.
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Bonnie Bartlett (96)
Ellen Craig
NBC/Courtesy: Everett Collection.
Bartlett first gained recognition as Grace Snider Edwards on Little House on the Prairie, a role she created on the spot after meeting Michael Landon; she later found acclaim as Ellen Craig on St. Elsewhere, where she starred beside real-life husband Daniels. She and Daniels made Emmy history by winning awards on the same night in 1986. Her career includes roles on Wiseguy, seaQuest DSV, Home Improvement, ER and a guest turn as a dean on Boy Meets World, appearing alongside her husband’s character.
Eric Laneuville (73)
Luther Hawkins
NBC/Courtesy: Everett Collection.; Mark Mainz/Getty Images for DGA
Transitioning behind the camera after the series ended, Laneuville launched a prolific career as a television director and producer. His directing credits include standout shows such as L.A. Law, Quantum Leap, Doogie Howser, M.D., ER, Lost, Ghost Whisperer, Blue Bloods, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Equalizer, Station 19, Black Lightning and FBI: Most Wanted. Notably, in 1992 he won an Emmy Award for directing the powerful episode “All God’s Children” from the drama I’ll Fly Away.
Howie Mandel (69)
Dr. Wayne Fiscus
Everett Collection; Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Howie Mandel first made audiences laugh as a stand-up comedian, performing at clubs like Yuk Yuk’s in Canada where he improvised routines that caught attention. He first got attention on St. Elsewhere, before seeing his star rise further after voicing Gizmo in 1984’s Gremlins.
Though he went on to become a bright light in comedy, he finally became a household name hosting Deal or No Deal, a role he parlayed into a long tenure as a judge on America’s Got Talent since 2010. He remains the longest-serving judge in the show’s history.
Mark Harmon (73)
Dr. Robert “Bobby” Caldwell
NBC/Courtesy: Everett Collection; Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Mark Harmon gained early recognition for roles on television, including his part on St. Elsewhere and was named People‘s Sexiest Man Alive in 1986. Harmon’s career has continues steadily in the decades since — in the ’90s, he could be seen on medical drama Chicago Hope, but he truly became one of TV’s most recognizable faces when he became the lead of NCIS, portraying Leroy Jethro Gibbs for 18 seasons.
And he isn’t just a TV star — Harmon also received top billing in films like Summer School, Stealing Home, Wyatt Earp, Freaky Friday and Chasing Liberty.
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Denzel Washington (70)
Dr. Philip Chandler
NBC/Courtesy: Everett Collection; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
Two-time Oscar winner Washington’s breakthrough came as Dr. Philip Chandler on St. Elsewhere, soon followed by his first Academy Award for Glory just a year later. One of the 20th and 21st century’s most acclaimed actors, collaborating with the most celebrated directors of our era, and directing a few of his own films, as well.
This year, he reunites with Spike Lee in Highest 2 Lowest, a modern reinterpretation of Kurosawa’s High and Low that premiered at Cannes and opens in theaters on August 15 before streaming on Apple TV+ starting September 5.
Ronny Cox (87)
Dr. John Gideon
NBC/Everett Collection; Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
He delivered memorable performances in Deliverance, Beverly Hills Cop (and its sequel), RoboCop and Total Recall. He also portrayed Captain Jellico in Star Trek: The Next Generation and reprised the role in Star Trek: Prodigy. In addition to his acting, Cox is an accomplished singer-songwriter and storyteller, performing over a hundred live shows per year and leading musical tours to Ireland. In 2019 he was inducted into the New Mexico Music Hall of Fame.
Terence Knox (78)
Dr. Peter White
Everett Collection
After leaving the show, Knox earned recognition as Sergeant Zeke Anderson on Tour of Duty. He also appeared in Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice and guest-starred on series such as Murder, She Wrote, The Twilight Zone, Lois & Clark and SeaQuest 2032.
Cynthia Sikes Yorkin (71)
Dr. Annie Cavanero
Everett Collection; David Livingston/Getty Images
On television she also starred as Judge Monica Ryan on L.A. Law and Dr. Sidney Walden on JAG, and she produced and starred in the movie Sins of Silence. Her feature film appearances include Arthur 2: On the Rocks, That’s Life!, Love Hurts, Possums and Blade Runner 2049, which she produced alongside her late husband Bud Yorkin; it earned multiple Academy Award nominations.
In Memoriam
Norman Lloyd (Dr. Daniel Auschlander)
NBC/Courtesy: Everett Collection
He enjoyed an extraordinary career that spanned nearly nine decades. He began in Orson Welles‘s legendary Mercury Theatre in 1937 and later appeared in Alfred Hitchcock‘s Saboteur and Spellbound. During the McCarthy era, he faced professional setbacks but was rescued by Hitchcock, who brought him on as an associate producer and director for Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
Lloyd also collaborated with Charlie Chaplin, Jean Renoir, and Martin Scorsese, and appeared in Dead Poets Society and The Age of Innocence. He returned to acting late in life, starring in Trainwreck at age 99 and appearing on Modern Family in his 90s. He died on May 11, 2021, at the age of 106 from natural causes in his sleep in Los Angeles.
Ed Flanders (Dr. Donald Westphall)
NBC/Courtesy: Everett Collection.
Ed Flanders delivered one of the show’s most unforgettable moments in the 1988 finale with an unscripted monologue about life and death. He died on February 22, 1995, at the age of 60, from suicide by gunshot at his home in Denny, California.
Stephen Furst (Dr. Elliot Axelrod)
Everett Collection
Furst was also known for his breakout role as Flounder in Animal House in 1978. After St. Elsewhere, he continued acting in film and television and directed, becoming a passionate advocate for diabetes awareness following his own diagnosis. He died on June 16, 2017, at the age of 63, from complications of diabetes at his home in Moorpark, California.
Sagan Lewis (Dr. Jacqueline Wade)
NBC/Courtesy: Everett Collection
Sagan became active in arts education and film festival programming and was long married to producer and writer Tom Fontana. She died on August 7, 2016, at the age of 63, from cancer at her home in Manhattan, New York.
David Birney (Dr. Ben Samuels)
Herb Ball/NBC/Courtesy: Everett Collection.
Birney earned acclaim for playing the title role in the TV series Serpico, and starred in the groundbreaking sitcom Bridget Loves Bernie, where he met and married fellow actor Meredith Baxter. Birney was also an accomplished stage actor, appearing on Broadway in productions such as Amadeus, Benefactors and Man and Superman. Birney died on April 27, 2022 at the age of 83 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease at his home in Santa Monica, California.
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