Noah Wyle was asked to send his younger self a message while walking the red carpet at The Pitt season 2 premiere in Los Angeles on Wednesday, January 7.

“Don’t worry so much, it’s gonna work out okay,” he said, looking straight into Variety’s camera. “Don’t sell your baseball card collection.”

After finding fame on ER, Wyle found it difficult to sustain.

His situation got “so bleak,” per a New York Times profile published on Sunday, January 4, that he considered selling his prized sports memorabilia, even inviting an expert over to assess how much it might be worth.

“I didn’t think lightning would strike twice like this in my life 30 years apart,” he told Variety of The Pitt’s critical acclaim. “Being invited to all these lovely events once again with a little wisdom and perspective to really understand how special and rare it is, is like the greatest gift.”

One that keeps on giving.

Wyle, who has been nominated for a Golden Globe three times before, finally took home a trophy on Sunday, January 11, for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch on The Pitt, which was named Outstanding Drama Series.

He also won the Critics’ Choice and Emmy award for Best Actor in a Drama Series.

“I think I spent 15 years avoiding — actively avoiding walking down what I thought was either hallowed ground or traveled road,” Wyle said of steering clear of medical shows post-ER on the Thursday, January 8 episode of NPR’s Fresh Air.

“And then finally, I had an opportunity to come back and was excited about it and slipped a stethoscope around my neck and just felt right at home,” he shared.