Found this on Yahoo News.

Thursday July 20 03:23 PM EDT Stringfield Scrubs Back In

Sherry Stringfield, who shocked everyone with her departure from the hit series "ER" four years ago, has decided it's time to scrub back in to television's highest rated drama. It was announced Thursday that Stringfield will reprise her role as Dr. Susan Lewis for a five-episode arch this fall.

There is no word on exactly what awaits the character when she returns to the familiar halls of County General. The last time viewers saw Dr. Lewis, she left a heartbroken Dr. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) on a platform as her train pulled out of the station. So, it's a pretty safe bet that her return will complicate things for the beleaguered Greene, who has since moved on to a new relationship with British surgeon Dr. Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston).

Stringfield was the first cast member to depart the series in 1996. Since then, the show has said goodbye to Maria Bello, George Clooney, Gloria Reuben, Kellie Martin, and most recently, Julianna Margulies. In addition to Edwards, the only original cast members remaining are Noah Wyle and Eriq La Salle.

Stringfield has largely shied away from the limelight in the past few years, preferring to spend most of her time teaching drama at SUNY Purchase and doing voice-over work. She has appeared in made-for-television movies, including 1999's Border Line for NBC, which ER pal Edwards executive produced, and this year's Going Home on CBS. She can also be seen in the upcoming Autumn in New York with Richard Gere.

-- Lindsay (SoccerGL31@aol.com), July 22, 2000

Answers

You know, this seems like a credible story, but it is NOT at the URL that people say it is at, and... I have access to all the entertainment wires and I cannot find this story anywhere, on Thursday or any other day. I can't find it anywhere on Yahoo, either.

Kind of strange.

-- Tracy (bankybooda@aol.com), July 22, 2000.

If this is true, than all I can say is "yippeee".. I loved Dr. Lewis and I love Sherry Stringfield. What an awesome storyline. She could arrive for a medical conference (she is a doctor in Phoenix) and she could see Dr. Greene and...Marc would be conflicted because he loves Elizabeth, but still carries a torch for Susan. If this is just another sick tabloid lie, I'll be really angry..Oh, I hope this is true...

-- Carin Haseltine (cdenisehaze@usa.net), July 22, 2000.

I don't care, I'm just happy that Noah's staying! Teehee! I always liked Susan, though, but she's kinda, what's the word, blah? It'll be interesting though for Mark. A Susan-Mark-Elizabeth love triangle. Hmmm.

-- Anna (jkc2344@cs.com), July 22, 2000.

Susan coudl get w/ Carter!!!! Not that I didn't love Mark and Susan, in fact that could make a major storyline for Mark w/ Elizabeth...but since I would be happy with Mark with either Susan or Elizabeth, I wouldn't mind seeing Carter and Susan. That would be great. I think she could help him out a lot. She'd be shocked to hear of all that happened.

Anyways, I'm not going to totally believe this until I hear more about it. Yahoo is a pretty reliable source isn't it? But I still need more...I thought the producers were a bit upset by her leaving, so this does seem a bit weird. It would be great though! Too bad Doug and Carol are bad, it'd be better if they were there. At least the nurses and Randi are still there.

-- Elaine (mrsclooney78@hotmail.com), July 23, 2000.

I personally would love it if Dr. Lewis came back to "ER"! She was (and still is) my favorite character on the show. However, I wouldn't want her set up with Carter.

-- Kimberley (kwendt@utk.edu), July 23, 2000.

You would think she would be mad at ER for making her wait two years before working again and yet Maria left after one year and Kellie left also. They were both still on their contracts like Sherri. I hope they're not doing this because Julianna left and they need a popular female ccharacter again on the show. I mean Elizabeth and Kerri are popular characters. I am right or wrong about that? Unless she's desprate for work right now. I don't know though. I hope she cpmes back but she didn't leave on great terms with them.

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), July 23, 2000.

I did think they removed that article a little quickly. When Kellie left, I believe Yahoo had it up for a few weeks didn't they? It was a while ago so I don't remember exactly. Deja.com (I think) back in Mar. or Apr. started saying that Kellie Martin would be back for a few episodes in the 7th season as Lucy's long lost twin sister. Well I haven't heard anything since then. So until I actually see Kellie or Sherri on ER I won't believe it.

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), July 23, 2000.

I heard on some entertainment news show (I'm not sure which one, I was tired after work and dosing off when I heard it) that there were rumors that Susan would be coming back, and that the people at NBC were denying it as a rumor, so maybe it's not on yahoo anymore because it was false... but I'm not sure - wish I had paid more attention now!!!

-- Lauren (radhamtte@hotmail.com), July 23, 2000.

Well, um, after the great George Clooney Denial of last season, I have to take anything that the network suits say with a grain of salt. Remember, "ER" is the show that manages to keep its secrets very well. For all we know, the "ER" producers *have* been in talks with Sherry Stringfield and the network knows nothing about it. Or not. Time will tell. But it's awfully strange that Yahoo would go so far as to write a story about it and put it online, then yank it.

-- Tracy (bankybooda@aol.com), July 23, 2000.

OMG!!!!! Oh please let it be true......! I was beginning to think there would be no one left in ER (with the exception of AE and NW). Think of the possibilities idf she came back. I think a relationship between her and Carter would eb really great. If she came back there's probably a greater chance of JM and GC coming back for a guest appearence. Someone please tell when they hear any more news. I inclined to think it might be true. I mean no one has ever mentioned SS returning until now so there must be some sort of credibilty behind the story. It couldn't have come out of nowhere.

-- Lara Aine (survivingseattle@hotmail.com), July 23, 2000.

This could be one of those things that rumors are floating around about and Yahoo decided to have an article written up about it and it was accidentally put on the site. Remember when some website said Bob Hope had died? That is what happened then...they had the article ready to go so when he died they could get it right out there and it was "accidentally" released. Poor old Bob, well he showed them didn't he just turned 97(?) I believe.

-- amanda (amanda.rehm@home.com), July 23, 2000.

Who would be better to see Carter thru Rehab after all she went thru with Chloe?? You have to admit, they had chemistry. More than she and Mark ever did if you ask me. They really seemed to click to me. Especially when Div was going off the deep end. I think it would be nice if we found out that Susan had been hanging w/Carter in Atlanta for a while even if it wasn't a major love affair, it would be nice for Carter to have someone to lean on for a while who was not so emotionally involved. Plus, I'd love to see Susan come back and be a bigger success than Kerri - wouldn't that just stick in her craw???

-- Linda (l.brown@mindspring.com), July 23, 2000.

What I would love is if Susan comes for a visit and finds Carter all grown up, and the sparks start flying. . . and then the famous Greene jealousy kicks in!!! (Too bad they already used "Greene with Envy. . . darn!)

-- joy (joygirl01@yahoo.com), July 24, 2000.

Yahoo! has all the other news still posted in their archives for the 20th...I looked, but this one isn't there. So, I guess they removed it for some reason, and I'd have to say it was a pretty good one since the Brad Pitt marrying one is still there and it's been denied.

I don't really care if she comes back or not and don't see the point for only five epis except for closure and maybe to stir things up with Elizabeth and Mark.

BTW, Cammie, you mentioned her still being mad at ER...I see it as why would they want an unreliable actress on the set. What's their guarantee that she'll fulfill her five-epi contract (and remember it wasn't her first time to renege on a contract)? As for the other examples of early departures (Kellie and Maria), a contract is a two- party agreement. If BOTH parties agree to break it, then a contractual agreement no longer exists. If only one does however (Sherry), then the contract is still valid until it expires. Obviously TPTB agreed that it was time for the other ladies' characters to go, but they wanted the character of Susan to stay. I think they let Sherry off light...they could have sued her for damages.

-- Diana (dilynne@juno.com), July 24, 2000.

hey, I just read on several message boards, (one being ER Underground) that Sherry is comming back sooo maybe it is true, but PLEASE NO MORE MARK ANGST! I think we got enough of that in season 3 eh? And with his father just dying, he NEEDS SOME HAPPINESS YOU HEAR ME PEOPLES! (So sorry I'm just a tad hyper!)

-- Lauren (radhamtte@hotmail.com), July 24, 2000.

Susan, Susan, SUSAN!

-- Kimberley (kwendt@utk.edu), July 25, 2000.

Why would she olnly come back for 5 episodes??

-- Rachel (gclooney86@hotmail.com), August 07, 2000.

Folks... this rumor has grown cold. It's not been reported in any news outlet, and it's been a couple weeks since the rumor started going around.

Believe me, something this major would have been announced already. She's not coming back. It was just an unfounded rumor.

-- Tracy (bankybooda@aol.com), August 08, 2000.

After that TV Guide article last year, I would find it hard to believe that she would come back. I will believe it when I see it.

-- Brad (bsharlow@altavista.com), August 31, 2000.

Susan Lewis is back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-- Jason (jaseq5@yahoo.com), July 01, 2001.

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sherry strinfield is indeed returning for the next three years, seasons 8, 9, and 10, to play dr. susan lewis. i was shocked out of my mind when i read it since it was confirmed this year, but was posted as a hoax this year. no one knows exactly what impact her return will have on the er, but with anthony edwards leaving at the end of season 8, there should be some interesting chemistry between lewis and greene. additionally, reliable sources have it that tptb are looking for an actress to play rachel greene, 13, who will move in with mark, elizabeth, and baby ella while she is experiencing what has been called a hell of an adolesence. this information is not my own; the heads-up about edwards confirmed leaving and the arrival of rachel greene come from threads posted by maddog and tina on the message board of www.kimandkerry.com.

-- e. kerry (efields01@yahoo.com), July 03, 2001.