Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life by Julianna Margulies

When you have very small children you spend money on crazy things, sometimes to make them happy, and other times to soothe yourself as a sleep-deprived parent. When my twin girls were born in 1995, my husband and I were big fans of the television series “ER.” So, we crafted the perfect plan: on Thursday nights we had a babysitter arrive exactly at 9:45 p.m. which would give us 15 minutes of transition time before we would dash into the safety of a small study to watch the opening credits of our favorite show “ER.”  By 1995, the show was in its second season and a clear hit, starring George Clooney, Anthony Edwards and Julianna Margulies. The scenes between Nurse Carol Hathaway (Margulies) and Dr. Doug Ross (Clooney) were the crown jewels of each episode. “Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life” chronicles the life of Margulies, and how she rose to fame on “ER” and later the “The Good Wife.” Her childhood was less than picture perfect. Growing up, she learned to survive being shuttled like cargo between an absent father and eccentric mother, moving often from America to England as well as to France.  When her parents handed her turmoil at every turn, she decided to get organized, and one of the ways she did that was by choosing acting as a profession because it brought her joy. Despite early rejection and disappointments, Margulies stayed true to her childhood nickname, the Sunshine Girl. At the end of the 6th season of “ER,” she made the bold decision to leave the show, despite being offered millions of dollars to stay. The story is a classic example of determination, and how she decided long ago not to rely on anyone but herself. To make your own decisions, it helps to be the strongest one in any room. Margulies clearly had what it takes to become a top talent in Hollywood, not to mention the most gorgeous eyebrows in town, too.