Conan: How are ya?

 

Sherry: I'm good!

 

Conan: You're good. Let's talk about this. This is a very, uh, very strange thing. Did you have any idea that, you leave a TV show--and of course a very popular TV show, and you're a popular character on it--but that it would get all this insane attention?

 

Sherry: It's kind of ironic, isn't it? Like to leave, to go, "You know what? It's a bit much, and I don't have my life," and--and now it's like, I really don't have my life. They're like, camped out, and, I don't know...

Conan: It's like the best thing for your career is to quit a popular show, you know?

 

Sherry: Yeah!

 

Conan: Actors all over L.A. are gonna be like, "Cool, I quit!"

 

Sherry: Yeah, you know they're freaking. They're like, "Oh my God, there's gonna be a mad rush, of like..."

 

Conan: Now, a lot of people wanna know, you're working on a very popular show, you're making a lot of money, this thing's going great, and then you just decide, you know, "Okay, I don't wanna do this anymore." Alright, you walk away. A lot of people are saying, "Why?"

 

Sherry: Yeah, well, I just...I wanna have my life, you know? Like, I wanna have a real relationship, as opposed to like, one that's on TV? And, I just...it's--it's too much.

 

Conan: Yeah.

 

Sherry: Yeah.

 

Conan: It's a lot of work on that show.

 

Sherry: Yeah, you know what? It's a lot of work, and, like, people don't realize it's--it's constant. Like, the publicity's constant.

 

Conan: Mm-hmm.

 

Sherry: Because every week you're in people's homes, and, you know, after--after you work a 12-hour day or a 14-hour day, there's "Oh, you know, we're promoing this," and it's--it is beyond full time. At least for someone like me.

 

Conan: Was there one defining moment when you knew, like "Okay, that's it. I've..." It clicked? Like, you hear "Take This Job and Shove It" on the radio, and you're like, "Yeah! I want out!"

 

Sherry: (Laughing) Whoooo! Drivin' to work!

 

Conan: Johnny Paycheck--you listened to your Johnny Paycheck tape. Was there just, you know, or just, was it cumulative?

 

Sherry: It was...

 

Conan: It was a cumulative thing.

 

Sherry: Yeah, it was over, like, you know, years.

 

Conan: Yeah.

 

Sherry: Of you know, being in Los Angeles, and seeing how it all goes, and kind of going down that road and going, "You know what? I--I think I'm seeing ahead a bit here, and, yeah.

 

Conan: Did they believe you? Did the--did the studio believe you when you said "I wanna leave now. Okay, I don't wanna do this anymore. I wanna have no job rather than this job"?

 

Sherry: Yeah, yeah, the--I--I don't--they, no they didn't. They definitely didn't. They were like--and I can picture like, what they were saying in the meeting--like, "That --, she's trying to screw us," and you know, like it was some negotiating thing.

 

Conan: To get more money.

 

Sherry: I think, yeah. At the beginning, they were just like, "Oh yeah, okay," you know, and "We'll get back to you." You know, it's like, "No no no, it's not..."

 

Conan: Really? So you were saying, "I just wanna leave," and they're like, "Yeah sure you do--here's a nice new car!" And you're like, "No, I really wanna leave." "It's made of gold!" You know...

 

Sherry: (Laughs) Yeah. It was--It was--I think it was kinda like that. Like they thought that this was, like, some very interesting negotiation...

 

Conan: Uh-huh.

 

Sherry: ...trick or something. And then, then they kind of believed it, and they were just like, "Oh, she's insane, so like..."

 

Conan: (Laughs)

 

Sherry: "...and she's got scalpels over there, so uh..."

 

Conan: And they, they've got, they've got--it's actually an interesting deal--where they've got a lot of constraints on you now. You can't just go make a movie if you want to, right? You've gotta kind of, you can only make it during a period when there's a--there's a vacation on ER, even though you're not on ER anymore.

 

Sherry: Right, right. Yes.

 

Conan: That is so weird.

 

Sherry: Yeah, well, I mean it--I can do whatever I want during the hiatus. And then the rest is kind of like--I've heard--that I need to...ask permission.

 

Conan: Can you go see a movie?

 

Sherry: (Laughs)

 

Conan: (As studio executive) "No!" (As Sherry) "I just wanna see a movie, that's all I want!" Did, uh, why do you think people think this is so strange? Because all you're saying, it makes perfect sense here: "I just wanna leave." And this makes perfect sense. But a lot of people are reacting like, uh, this has never happened before in history, when someone wants to leave...

 

Sherry: I know. Well, that's what kind of freaks me out about it, is I can't quite get a grip on why everyone thinks it's so crazy. Because certainly in like, a lot of other professions, like, you know, people leave. They go, "Oh you know, I've socked away a little money, and, you know, I don't get to see my family, and I don't get to have my life." And they go, "Smart man!" You know, or like, "Hey, you know, I wish I could do that," or whatever. But, I guess it's just the kind of, celebrity, and T--I think people think, "Ooh, being on TV is--" I really still think there's, "It must be glamorous, and, and just loads of fun every minute," and it's like--

 

Conan: But it is, Sherry. Why are you lying to the people out there?

 

Sherry: (Laughing) Well I...

 

Conan: The chip is missing from the back of your ear. What's wrong with you?

 

Sherry: (Laughing) Exactly! Exactly!

 

Conan: No, I know, I know what you're saying.

 

Sherry: Yeah, so I think people are just kind of shocked, because I think they have an idea of what it must be like: that it's not a normal job, you know...it's--it's very normal to an actor--you're acting.

 

Conan: Right.

 

Sherry: It's kind of like, well this isn't working, so...

 

Conan: Mm-hmm. Well how was the, how was doing...has ER changed your life? Has it, has it--other than just financially and things like that--but do you, maybe, when you go to the doctor now, or when everything like, when you go in for a checkup, is your attitude towards doctors different now? Is your...

 

Sherry: Yeah. Yes, totally.

 

Conan: How is it different?

 

Sherry: Well, I used to just hate them flat-out. Like, wouldn't go. Just hated it. And now I totally respect doctors. I mean, that's like--it's an amazing profession. I think it's like a real calling. And um...So I--I respect the doctors, but I--I think I know like, enough, just a little bit--just to scare myself. Do you know what I'm saying?

 

Conan: You know a little bit of the--

 

Sherry: To be dangerous. You know?

 

Conan: You know a little bit of the jargon now.

 

Sherry: Yes. So if they--

 

Conan: I think that would be cool.

 

Sherry: If they order, you know, like some tests, I'd be like, "Oh, that's bad." Like, "That's--that's bad."

 

Conan: "I remember that plot..."

 

Sherry: "That's bad."

 

Conan: "That's a bad one..."

 

Sherry: "That's bad."

 

Conan: "Because that kid didn't do so good."

 

Sherry: Right, I know "good" and I know "bad." I know good and bad. Yeah, like, oh--

 

Conan: You're like, "Don't you mean ten cc's of monoslyvin, Doctor?"

 

Sherry: (Laughs)

 

Conan: (In funny "doctor" voice) "By God, you're right! You're incredible. I love you."

 

Sherry: (Laughs)

 

Conan: Does he talk like that, your doctor? (Laughing) Why would he? Why would he talk like that? Alright, well this is, uh, now...are you gonna--you've gone off to your other life. Are you gonna come back and visit us? Uh, you know...

 

Sherry: Well I...yeah. I--I'll be a nobody. I won't--I won't be famous or anything.

 

Conan: Have you seen this show?

 

Sherry: (Laughing) I love this show! I love this show.

 

Conan: What, are you gonna--what, are you gonna bump Abe Vigoda? You know. We got lots of people on this show.

 

Sherry: I love this show.

 

Conan: Oh, good, alright.

 

Sherry: You guys are hilarious.

 

Conan: Oh, well thank you very much. But you're welcome here any time.

 

Sherry: Well thank you. Even when I'm not a famous doctor.

 

Conan: Come by. (Laughs). Sherry, thanks so much for coming. And good luck with everything. Sherry Stringfield, everybody! Kenny Rogers, Michael Novacek coming up...we'll be right back.