It’s been more than 20 years since Gloria Reuben and Eriq La Salle shared the small screen. They played a physician assistant and a surgeon navigating life-and-death situations on the NBC drama ER. When they reunite this weekend on Hallmark’s A Second Chance at Love, it will be in a much more lighthearted storyline.
“Being able to laugh on screen and have that kind of playfulness and sexiness was new for us,” Reuben said in an interview with Parade.
In A Second Chance at Love, Reuben and La Salle play Brenda and Jack, a divorced couple with an adult daughter who sets them up on a blind date through an app.
When they come together for their first date, they are surprised by how much they enjoy each other’s company, and they question whether it’s worth pursuing their relationship again.
It was a story that resonated with both stars.
“There was something about this that really connected with us,” Reuben said. “We moved into it really deeply when we were discussing the script and filming. It touched on fundamental human experiences.”
Onscreen reunion for Reuben and La Salle
Reuben and La Salle also played a couple on ER, though their relationship didn’t last long. When the series started, Reuben’s character, Jeanie Boulet, attempted to mend a broken marriage. Her husband was eventually diagnosed with HIV, and so was Boulet. La Salle, who played Dr. Peter Benton, went through several relationships on the series in quick succession.
Getting to play a couple again, this time in a Hallmark movie, was a fun change.
“…The sexy, fun, romantic story in this script were not elements that we were given on ER, in the relationship between Jeanie Boulet and Dr. Benton,” Reuben said.
A Second Chance at Love on Hallmark
The romance between Brenda and Jack is only one part of the story. Their daughter, Alicia (played by Alvina August), also has relationship trouble. Her husband, Arnold (Jarod Joseph), is ready to start a family, but Alicia is unsure.
Instead of dealing with the issue, Alicia decides to use her skills as a “love doctor” to focus on her parents’ relationship instead of her own. But as her parents reconnect, Alicia is forced to confront the issues in her own marriage.
A Second Chance at Love will premiere on Saturday, March 26 at 8/7c on the Hallmark Channel.