Laura InnesER star Laura Innes has said she’s finding it hard to adjust now that her character Dr Kerry Weaver no longer needs to walk with a crutch - but is glad about it too because it was damaging her back.

Laura, who has played Dr Weaver for 10 years, has said she finds it “totally weird” after the character underwent a hip replacement operation and now no longer has difficulty walking: “I didn’t know what to do with my hands. I felt very selfconscious. For a couple of episodes I certainly felt like I needed my crutch.”

“But now I like it for a couple of reasons.”

“One, it’s fun to have the freedom with my hands and two, my real back was getting screwed up.”

“I got a bone density test and the bottom of my spine is starting to curve on one side from 10 years of raising my hip.”

But it’s not that bad that life will have to imitate art: “I’ve just started going to the chiropractor. I don’t need an operation.”