Julianna Margulies turned down $27 million to stay on 'E.R.' following a sign from the universe.

Julianna Margulies

Julianna Margulies

The 54-year-old actress reached a crossroads in her career after six seasons of portraying Carol Hathaway in the medical drama when she was ready to try something new but received a huge offer to stay on for two more seasons, which most of her loved ones urged her to accept.

Speaking in an interview airing on Oprah Winfrey's 'Super Soul Sunday' this weekend, she said: "I was going back to New York to go and do this play and then all this money came up. Everyone I asked said, 'You'd be crazy [not to]. Take the money, take the money.'

"I felt very alone because I had already planned what I was going to do before they had offered me that money. I had my life planned."

So rather than taking her friends' advice, Julianna asked the universe to send her a sign to guide her decision making.

She continued: ""I had heard a friend got some spiritual books and I had been studying some Buddhism, so I went [to a bookstore].

"And I ran my finger down a shelf and I picked out a book, 'Awakening the Buddha Within'.

"I brought it home and I said nothing. I walked into my bedroom, I opened the book, I closed my eyes and I [pointed to a random line]. And I opened my eyes and the line was, 'I knew I wanted to learn more, not earn more.' "

Julianna originally signed up for a guest role on the show but recently revealed co-star George Clooney urged her not to take on another job afterwards because he was sure producers would want her back as a permanent cast member.

She recalled: "George called me. He said, 'If you're thinking about taking a job, I urge you not to. I think in the next couple of days, you might be offered a series regular role.' "And I was like, 'But I died! How does that work?' He was like, 'I don't know, but I think it's going to work.'

"I was about to go do 'Homicide: Life on the Street' because I had done two episodes of it before I did the pilot of ER and they wanted me back. I didn't take the job. And a week later, they called and said, 'We're going to make you a series regular.' "

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