Ming-Na Stays on ER Rotation

August 14 -- ER is stemming its tide of cast exits by signing actress Ming-Na (Dr. Deb Chen) to an extra season.

Ming-Na signed a deal worth an undisclosed amount to stay with the NBC medical drama through the 2002-03 season, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The show's producers recently convinced Goran Visnjic to sign a contract to stay on through the show's 11th season and persuaded Noah Wyle to sign on for a 10th season. Original cast member Sherry Stringfield, who returns to the series this fall, is also contracted through season 10.

Eriq La Salle and Anthony Edwards, who've been with the show since its beginning, will both leave the series in the coming year.

Ming-Na, who dropped her last name, Wen, when she married screenwriter Eric Michael Zee, was on the first season of ER and returned last year as a regular. Her real-life pregnancy was worked into an ER story line for Dr. Chen this past season.

The actress also voiced digital cyberbabe Aki in this year's Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within and the title character in Disney's Mulan. Her other feature-film credits include The Joy Luck Club and One Night Stand.