Television and film Edward's early film appearances included roles in
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982),
Revenge of the Nerds (1984),
Gotcha! (1985) and
The Sure Thing (1985). It was Edwards's role as
LTJG Nick "Goose" Bradshaw alongside
Tom Cruise in the 1986 film
Top Gun that brought his first widespread public acknowledgement. His character, who died in an aviation accident, was among the most prominent and popular in the film. Scenes with him and his film family (played by
Meg Ryan and
Aaron and Adam Weis) were later reprised as flashbacks in the 2022 sequel
Top Gun: Maverick. Edwards's roles following
Top Gun included
Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987),
Miracle Mile (1988),
Downtown (1990),
Pet Sematary Two (1992) and
The Client (1994). He also had a recurring role on the TV series
Northern Exposure from 1992 to 1993. His best-known role is as Dr.
Mark Greene on the long-running TV series
ER, from the series premiere in 1994 to the end of the eighth season in 2002. The series also afforded Edwards his first opportunity to direct. Edwards's desire to pursue directing led to his request to be written out of the series. He reportedly earned $35 million for three seasons on
ER, which made him one of television's highest-paid actors. Edwards received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations for
ER. He won a Golden Globe Award For Best Performance by an Actor-In a TV Series after being nominated four times and he has two Screen Actor's Guild Awards. In 2008, Edwards returned to
ER to reprise his role as Dr. Greene (in flashback scenes, where he treats the dying son of character
Catherine Banfield) for one episode during its 15th and final season. Following ER, he took some time to raise his children, appreciating the privilege that his
ER salary provided.
Motherhood did not fare much better in the United States, earning $93,388 in three weeks of release. At the time, he said he took the role because "it seemed like a very organic and real thing. It really kind of reminded me of what the dynamic in a family is like." Edwards reunited with
Val Kilmer, another actor from
Top Gun, when he voiced one of the fighter jets in the
Disneytoon Studios film
Planes (2013). In 2018, Edwards was cast in the recurring role in the third season of
Netflix's
Designated Survivor as Mars Harper, the President's Chief of Staff. In 2020, he served as an executive producer of the film adaptation of
Martin Moran's
The Tricky Part.
Theater After a long career in television, Edwards made his Broadway debut as his
second act in 2018 in the revival of
Children of a Lesser God at Studio 54. In 2015 he appeared in
Classic Stage Company's
A Month in the Country but his stage acting career began when he was growing up in Santa Barbara. On May 13, 2022, Edwards made his unexpected Broadway musical debut when he appeared as Dr. Walker in the Broadway production of
Girl from the North Country due to COVID-19 cases impacting the cast. The show also stars his wife, Mare Winningham. Edwards appeared in the 2024 Broadway production of
Prayer for the French Republic by
Joshua Harmon. ==Personal life==