James Woods is, to say the least, a talkative guy. A "bigmouth," as he himself puts it.

So it wasn't entirely easy for him to play someone who's lost the power of speech, as his character on Thursday's (Feb. 2) episode of "ER" has. The two-time Emmy winner and double Oscar nominee plays Dr. Nate Lennox, a former professor of Abby's (Maura Tierney) who suffers from ALS, the degenerative nerve condition also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

"That's wonderful for me, because I am such a bigmouth," he says with a laugh. "I'm such a loquacious person, I like to express myself verbally. ... But all of the sudden being challenged, wanting to be able to say things and not being able to -- it was actually a nice insight into the character. I would think, 'God, this is frustrating' -- well, welcome to the world of ALS."

The episode revolves around Abby's efforts to understand her mentor's wishes, and the ethical dilemma her emotional involvement raises in caring for Lennox. Flashbacks show how the professor inspired Abby to forge ahead with her decision to jump from nursing to medical school.

Woods spent some time with ALS patients to research his role, and he says he came away with a sense of how the disease affects not only those suffering from it but also their loved ones. "It was really tough to see these people. There's only one end to this story, and everybody knows it," he says. "They're just howling in the wind, trying to stay alive together and hold onto what they have. To watch the person in front of you literally melt away, it's horrifying."

That said, though, he calls his time on "ER" "an astonishing experience."

"I honestly had more fun -- not like laughing and screwing around on the set -- but more pure joy doing 'ER' than I've had in years and years," he says. "I really felt like I was back in the saddle again, and I'm leading the charge. This was like the charge of the light brigade for me. I came home one day and called my ma and said, 'You know what? I've still got it. I'm 58 years old, and I've got it better than ever.'"

He's also effusive in his praise for Tierney ("an all-American"), the rest of the cast and Joe Sachs, the "ER" writer who penned the episode. "I always change lines in a script, but I didn't change one word in this," he says. "Not one word."

An avid and accomplished poker player, Woods uses a Texas Hold 'Em analogy to describe what he hopes viewers take from his portrayal of Lennox: "We all have to play the hands we're dealt, but sometimes pocket threes can beat pocket aces," he says. "There's a way to climb a bigger mountain than you'd ever imagine if you just put your heart and soul into it."
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Woods' episode of "ER" airs at 10 p.m. ET Thursday, Feb. 2.