Buzz Briefs: "ER," "Grey's Anatomy"

Actors Return To "ER"

Anthony Edwards says it's easy being Greene. The actor, who left "ER" six years ago, will reprise his role as Dr. Mark Greene for the Nov. 13 episode of the NBC medical drama.

Edwards' appearance comes in the 15th and final season of "ER," which debuted in 1994 and launched the careers of George Clooney, who left the show in 1999, and others in the ensemble cast.

Like many "ER" fans, Edwards hopes for the return of Clooney's character, Dr. Doug Ross. He has said Clooney would be a fool not to make a cameo.

Eriq La Salle is coming back, too. Variety says he's directing an episode that'll air in February. It's not known if he'll be convinced to show up as Dr. Peter Benton sometime before the series ends. Benton made a cameo at Dr. Greene's funeral in 2002.

Major Character Cut From "Grey's Anatomy"

Don't read this if you don't want to know who's leaving Grey's Anatomy.

ABC has announced that Brooke Smith will be out after this week's episode. That means Callie and Erica won't get to explore their lesbian relationship anymore. The show's creator, Shonda Rimes, says the decision to write out Erica Hahn's character had nothing to do with the lesbian storyline. She says she didn't think Erica and Callie's "magic and chemistry" was strong enough.

Doctors Remove Tumor From Merle Haggard's Lung

Merle Haggard is recovering after having a malignant tumor removed from his lung. Friends said Monday's surgery at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital was a success and that the 71-year-old country crooner was in stable condition.

Doctors informed Haggard about a spot on his lung in May. He told The Bakersfield Californian in August that he wasn't going to seek treatment, but friends and family members convinced him otherwise.

Haggard became a household name after the anthem "Okie From Muskogee" hit No. 1 in 1969. He has had 38 No. 1 hits stretching back to 1966.

Deftones Bassist Injured In Car Crash

The bass player for the Deftones is in a San Jose hospital following a serious car crash.

The rock band's singer, Chino Moreno, says 38-year-old Chi Cheng was injured in the crash Monday in Santa Clara. Moreno told the Sacramento Bee that he didn't have many details but that it's "very serious."

The Deftones came together in Sacramento in 1988 and released their first album in 1995 on Madonna's Maverick Records label. A song on their 2000 album, "White Pony," earned the band a Grammy Award for best metal performance. They have been working on their sixth album for release next spring.

Dakota Fanning Climbs To The Top

While critics cheer her movie performances, Dakota Fanning does her own cheering at school. She's a cheerleader -- the one on top of the pyramid, no less. Fanning says she was "born to do that." She says she wasn't even scared the first time. She also points out that at 14, she's the smallest cheerleader on the squad. You can see Fanning in "The Secret Life of Bees."