Lily Mariye

Actress Lily Mariye holds a high mark of "ER" distinction. Her character, nurse Lily Jarvik, is one of only six to appear in every season of the NBC Thursday night juggernaut, part of the network's dominating "Must-See TV" block that also included "Seinfeld" and "Friends." The irony is that Mariye's character was never really showcased on the program, making her a fixture of the ER ward but one whose motives and personal life were generally a mystery. Still, it's the kind of steady, hit show role that any L.A. actor would kill for, and it certainly stands in marked contrast to most of the other work Mariye has amassed. She has actually played the role of a nurse on a number of other programs leading up to her "ER" meal ticket--on everything from "Who's the Boss" to another, earlier medical show classic, "St. Elsewhere." Her first part was that of a Chicken Ranch Girl in "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas."