Peter Berg Behind The Camera

As one of the top doctors of the CBS drama series Chicago Hope, Peter Berg is known for doing very good things, reports CBS This Morning Co-Anchor Mark McEwen. Now, Berg has written and directed his first feature film, a dark comedy called Very Bad Things.

In the movie, a boozing bachelor party in Las Vegas lands five friends in trouble when they accidentally kill a stripper, then cover up the crime.

For his directorial debut, Berg assembled a cast that includes Cameron Diaz and Christian Slater.

"I was always attracted to the dark side," says Berg. "I was always the kind of kid that would stop and stare at car accidents, that was obsessed with violence. I was always interested in movies about guys getting in a lot of trouble and watching the humor emerge from there."

Berg, 34, joined the cast of Chicago Hope in the middle of the program's first season. He plays Dr. Billy Kronk, an aggressive surgeon with a slightly skewed view of the world. He believes some of Billy's traits helped him to write Very Bad Things.

"I think I get rid of a lot of pent-up frustrations by acting out these perverse, bizarre happenings [on Chicago Hope], whereas if I was to start chopping up bodies, I would probably get in a fair amount of trouble."

This is Berg's final season on Chicago Hope. He is at work on another screenplay about a heist involving a group of New York City firemen, a project he will direct.

As an actor, his film credits include The Last Seduction (1994), Cop Land (1997), Aspen Extreme (1993), A Midnight Clear (1992), Girl 6 (1996), Late for Dinner (1991), and his big-screen debut, Shocker (1989).