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Dr. Simon Brenner is a fictional medical doctor from the television series ER. Brenner is an attending physician at the ER, and is also the nephew of Donald Anspaugh. He is portrayed by David Lyons.

History[]

Brenner is introduced in the episode, "Owner of a Broken Heart", as a new ER attending physician, who is first seen in bed with two women before arriving for his first shift. His character is superficially very charming, especially with the ladies.

While Brenner is a talented physician, he is unwilling to share his knowledge and teach the new medical students. Even when consistently reminded that Brenner works in a teaching hospital, he still refuses to teach procedures to those who need or want the practice.

Brenner sleeps with one female med student and later insults both her romantic & professional skills. When Dr. Greg Pratt informs Dr. Anspaugh of Brenner's attitude, it is revealed that Brenner is Anspaugh's nephew.

At the end of season 14, Brenner and Dr. Neela Rasgotra get into a heated argument in which she told him he was only at County because of his family ties to Anspaugh, attacked his attitude, and told him no one else wanted him around; this leads to them sleeping together, and they do so again in Season 15, and they continue to spar like an old married couple.

Brenner is later shown with a girlfriend who is doing a thesis on Middle Eastern politics at the University of Chicago. Towards the end of Season 15, Neela tells him they have no romantic future together, although the pair eventually end their relationship amicably.

In the episode, "Age of Innocence", Brenner reveals that he was molested as a child by his mother's boyfriend. Dr. Archie Morris wants Brenner to get help to deal with the trauma, but he tells Morris that he's dealing with it "in my own way." However, in the episode, "Shifting Equilibrium", he is shown to be visiting a therapist and coming to terms with having been abused.

In the series finale, "And in the End...", Brenner is shown mentoring and giving support to medical student Julia Wise after the death of a patient.


ER Characters
Characters Mark GreeneDoug RossSusan LewisJohn CarterCarol HathawayPeter BentonJeanie BouletKerry WeaverAnna Del AmicoElizabeth CordayLucy KnightLuka KovačAbby LockhartCleo FinchDave MalucciJing-Mei ChenMichael GallantGreg PrattNeela RasgotraSamantha TaggartRay BarnettArchie MorrisTony GatesSimon BrennerCate Banfield
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