Sherry Stringfield is good at playing capable women who still find the work difficult. ER gives that strength its clearest use, and we value the steadiness she brings to a crowded ensemble.
Fi1m perspective
In ER (1994), Susan Lewis has the steadiness we hope to find in a doctor. Stringfield makes her competence believable while leaving room for the demands of the job to hurt. We found her reassuring because her Susan remains recognisably vulnerable; trusting the doctor does not require us to believe she has everything sorted out. It is the performance we would start with, and a good indication of what she offers an ensemble. She makes the ordinary business of coping worth our attention.
Her early television work took her from Blake Thorpe in Guiding Light, whom she played from 1989 to 1992, to NYPD Blue (1993), opposite David Caruso. Our enthusiasm for the police drama rests on its cast and writing, with Dennis Franz's Andy Sipowicz a particular pleasure. The plots are more familiar than the rough presentation initially suggests. Stringfield's ability to convey everyday competence fits this sort of company, though our recommendation is for the cast together rather than a programme built around her.
ER gives that quality more room. Alongside Anthony Edwards, she helps make the hospital's staff seem like people doing difficult work, with weaknesses that do not disappear when they put on their professional faces. She joined the original cast in 1994, left in 1996 and returned from 2001 to 2005, before appearing again in the 2009 finale. Her ease in returning to the part is further evidence of how well she fits ensemble television. Familiarity helps this kind of acting: a level-headed character can hold our interest without having to surprise us every week.
The later film credits include 54 (1998) and the romantic drama Autumn in New York (2000), in which she has a supporting role. They need not displace the television work as the place to begin. Try ER, with the caveat that its crowded storytelling can wear us down even when we are glad of the company.
Biography
Sherry Lea Stringfield is an American actress. She trained at the Acting Conservatory of the State University of New York at Purchase, graduating with a BFA in 1989. Her early television work included a contract role as Christina "Blake" Thorpe on the soap opera Guiding Light from 1989 to 1992.
Stringfield played Assistant District Attorney Laura Michaels Kelly in the first season of NYPD Blue (1993–1994). She is best known for portraying Dr. Susan Lewis on the medical drama ER (1994–1996, 2001–2005 and 2009), a role that earned her three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She has appeared in other television series and feature films including Autumn in New York (2000) and The Stepfather (2009).
