Shawn Hatosy - 'The Pitt'

23:16Shawn Hatosy:it migrates after one season to two basic cable to tnt but the show southland about la cops how did i guess in this case your first main role on a tv series right like principal central leading role it's just remind folks you're in the gang unit as a partner of benjamin mckenzie's character in that uh this guy officer sammy bryant you're playing i mean how does this In this case, because you'd worked with Wells before, is it just like, hey, I've got something for you. It's yours if you want it. Or is this another big casting process? No, that one was I've got something for you if you're interested.

23:59That's great. I think I don't remember. I don't think I might have read, but I don't think there was a testing process. I'm not sure, actually. John Levy sent it to me, the casting director. and was kind of like if there's a role in here that you're interested in, please let us know.

24:19Shawn Hatosy:And to be a principal character on initially a broadcast network series has got to be a – must have felt like a huge step, right? It was awesome. And we were taking over ER's time slot, which they had had for 16 years. So we're going to get Thursday night, 10 o 'clock. It's like it's still an exciting time for network television. Like that's Thursday night in NBC, 10 o 'clock. That's that is a coveted time slot. And I was really proud of the show. Like I thought I thought what we were doing was it was so authentic and real and grounded and not typical to how what we've seen for some of the procedurals that end up on network TV.

25:07And I think, you know, there's it's a lot like the pit in that we we were told, look, no, this is what we're going to do. And we're not going to deviate from that. We're not going to make it like a case of the week type show. It's going to just be sort of you're a you know, you're you're riding with these guys in a patrol car and they could roll up on anything. It's just very it's almost like, you know, a fictionalized version of cops, you know, and we were doing that. And it was great. It was good television. Chris Chulak was an executive producer and also another mentor of mine who worked with John on ER, wonderful director.

25:46And what happened was we aired our first six episodes. We took that ER time slot. And we just did that season one with six episodes. We got picked up immediately for season two. and it was around this time where Jay Leno decided that he retired and so Conan was going to be at 11. And then in that offseason, as we were shooting season two, Leno said, I want to come back, and so they put him on at 10. So that was going to mean that our coveted time slot was taken, so moved to nine. At the time, I'm not sure who was running NBC, but they wanted us to shift the content. You know, the thing that we said we were going to do.

26:28Because you're going to be in a different time slot. Because we're not going to be on a 10 anymore. I remember the scripts were like there was one scene in a jail where I don't know exactly what was happening, but they wanted us to change something. And I remember John and Chris saying, we're not changing it, you know. And they were like, okay, and they canceled us. They just canceled us. We had already shot six episodes of season two. We were airing in like three weeks and they just canceled us.

26:58Shawn Hatosy:Even if the show was mediocre, which it was a lot better than that, you would think that because it's John Wells after all the years of ER, you would give a little bit of a longer leash. I've never been more shocked in my life, honestly. When I got that phone call, we hadn't even aired season two and they canceled us. And it was I knew what was in the chamber. You know, I knew what kind of television we were we were making. So it was a big surprise. And then TNT came in, you know, and and and rescued it. Was that again? I mean, we've had a bunch of these. But is that in a way a blessing in disguise because more creative freedom, less ratings pressure or maybe not?

27:46I think it was great because it sort of shrunk the show, but it was very complicated for us actors. First of all, some of the actors didn't make it to TNT because they did have to shrink it. And I was one of the characters that was on the fence. So I sort of got reduced salary-wise. And then they purchased it. So they bought season one. and the episodes that we had for season two. So it was a whole thing. From the time that we got canceled until we got back up, they wanted to air everything that was on. So it was like a good year and a half before we came back up to production. So it was really a terrifying time.

28:30And I guess it might have been in that interregnum or whatever

28:34Shawn Hatosy:that you were simultaneously playing a serial killer on Dexter. Yes. Thank God. You've got to pay the bills. Good work if you can get it, right? Yeah, not bad. Yeah. You know, it's not – not many people get to say that Dexter, you know, killed them on a table. So it's like a feather in my cap. As these years progress, I guess Southland elevates your profile quite a bit. That's 2009 to 2013, which leads into briefer appearances on Fear the Walking Dead, 2015, also 2015, four episodes of Bosh, leading into the next big one. And although it's come to feel a lot bigger after the fact, we'll get into that.

29:17Shawn Hatosy:But like Animal Kingdom had been a, for anyone who doesn't know, a really kind of breakout, well-received Australian indie from 2010. And now they're making it again at TNT, right? A TV series in which you're they being Wells again, right? So this is him doing this. Was it again straight offer? Or, hey, or no, this one was a... I remember Jonathan Lisko became the showrunner of Southland. And as we were finishing Southland, I ended up getting a show called Reckless, which was on CBS, which ran for a season. I actually didn't think it was going to get picked up, but it did. It got picked up, shot in South Carolina.

29:58It was sort of a legal procedural. I remember Jonathan saying, I've got this really cool, you know, and so I went and watched the movie. And then I heard that they were developing it. It started maybe at Showtime and then it ended up at TNT. And the TNT that was making it was not the same TNT that was there when Southland was being made. That was Michael Wright. And this was a new regime, Sarah Aubrey. I'm forgetting his name. It's not coming to me, but it will. It will come to me. And when I heard this was happening, I called John and I said, can I read it? And he sent it to me. And I was like, that's a really good role.

30:35Pope is a fantastic role.

30:37Shawn Hatosy:Just survive, folks. Once again, for those who have seen the indie movie, yeah, I mean, this is the Ben Mendelsohn character. You do it differently. But the gist is he's one of the sons, probably the he's the oldest and the most erratic. Right. He's the most erratic. He's he's fresh out of jail. He's clearly like disturbing and he's capable of just the most, you know, disturbing outbursts. And he stares at people and he's very uncomfortable and he might have borderline personality disorder. and it's just a very dynamic role. Kevin Reilly. Kevin Reilly and Sarah Aubrey. So this was their new, this was going to be their first show under this new regime and I think at the time, I told John I wanted this part, I was very excited about it and he said, yeah, that's a good idea and maybe, you know, it depends on the casting of Smurf but like let's stay close and so I tested for this role of Pope.

31:36I read with, I think I read with two actors. One of them ended up being Finn Cole, who ended up getting the part. I did the test. It wasn't a slam dunk, honestly. There was some doubt. And I think because of my involvement in Southland, and that was part of the old regime, and they were trying to branch out and do this new thing that they did not, they didn't want me. And I'm not sure exactly what that meant or what that looked like. But it wasn't just, it wasn't a slam dunk.

32:02Shawn Hatosy:Yeah. And I really had to fight for it. And I'm glad I fought for it. Because, again, we were talking a little bit before, like people see you in a role and it's hard for them to believe that you're not Sammy Bryant when, you know, Pope is a very transformative character compared to that. So it took some convincing. And I will say that John really went to bat for me on Animal Kingdom. You know, there's always going to be somebody behind the scenes that's like, no, I don't think that's the guy. But I know for a fact that John sort of really went to bat and made sure that that happened for me, and I thank him for it.

32:38Shawn Hatosy:And in the end, by the way, just to answer the question you raised earlier about who's going to be Smurf, Ellen Barkin in the end, right? So I guess the viewership, and maybe this is just the thing with most stuff on basic cable, it was up and down, right? It wasn't ever like a blockbuster of a show until right after season one of The Pit. Season one of The Pit ended rolling out in March of 2025. June of 2025, after Animal Kingdom had finished its run of six seasons, 2016 to 2022, gets brought back in a licensing deal with Netflix and like Breaking Bad and Schitt's Creek, suddenly has a whole new life, right?

33:20Shawn Hatosy:I mean, stuff that you'd done years earlier was being discovered as if it was new. I never understood why it couldn't find an audience on TNT. I mean, it did find an audience, and they were very, very loyal, but it was a very specific kind of audience. And this new audience was everything. It was a little bit of everything. And I'm so proud of the work that we all did, and particularly Pope, you know, he's just, he's a character that, he's very dynamic. he seems at the beginning like you're never going to ever want to be his friend. But by the end of the six seasons, you are rooting for him. And he is the emotional center of the show.

34:03And I think that's just wonderful writing. It's wild how these things happen.

34:08Shawn Hatosy:Well, the other significance of that show for you, and I think it's fair to say, is that starting with the 11th episode of the third season, you became a director. I mean, that was – you ended up doing four of that show. Then the show right after that, which was another collaboration with Wells, right? Rescue High Surf 2024 to 2025 directed on that. And then obviously season two of The Pit will come to. But was it your idea that you – was it something you'd always been itching to do during – and it just came about on Animal Kingdom? Or what was the – how did this get started? So Regina actually directed on Southland.

34:50Towards the end, she's somebody who I admire a great deal. I think she's a wonderful actress, but she was a great director. I think that actors make awesome directors. On the whole, they see things, their logic behind motivation, all of that is interesting. But when it comes to communicating with actors, which sometimes it's challenging. I watched her do it and I started making a little bit of like squeak noises that I wanted to do that. But then Southland got canceled. And I think I might have – all of us wanted to direct. Michael Kudlitz, Ben McKenzie. We were all sort of like, I don't know, direct.

35:33And I think had we gone one more season, we might have gotten that chance. But what John and Chris Chulak said was if this is something you're serious about, you need to shadow. And not just like come in on a day that we're shooting. You've got to do the whole pre-production process. You needed the whole production process.

35:55Shawn Hatosy:Were you shadowing John or who did you shadow? I shadowed Chris a lot on Southland. And then once we went to Animal Kingdom, yeah, I shadowed John. And then I shadowed Chris again because he came to Animal Kingdom. And yeah, finally, season three, episode 11, there it was. What were your biggest takeaways from watching those guys direct? I really respect the whole process. You know, my biggest honest takeaway was the pre-production process is so immense and intense. And you're scouting, but you're making, like as an actor, you come in and you're like, ah, I just want to change. And they're like, no, no, no.

36:35We've made all of these decisions that have brought us to this spot. You know what I mean? Like we can't just change something. You can't just like so. Of course, I knew that, but I didn't really understand how invested these guys were in and in all of the decisions that that brought us to when we're actually shooting. All the way down to like the time of day, you know, making sure the sun is in the right spot and just like where to park the trucks. Like these things are all coming into play.

37:04Shawn Hatosy:It's like the show Bible, right? You don't mess with it. Yeah, and you're realizing, oh, my God, I have to make that decision? Like you're going to ask me where to park the trucks? Like I don't think I'm qualified to make this decision. Don't ask me that question, please. You know, so, yeah, that was the biggest eye-opener. But, you know, to have those two, both John and Chris, you know, like the way they attack blocking a scene and making it grounded and real and not really so much worrying about the camera. You know what I mean? The camera satisfies what is happening only because the blocking makes sense, right?

37:44Things like that.

37:46Shawn Hatosy:Yeah, it's been wild. Well, I wonder how you process the fact that coming off of this run of, I guess, over a decade for the most part, with only a slight interruption in between Southland, again, 2009 to 2013, considered by critics and TV connoisseurs and whatever, one of the great shows of the 21st century, into Animal Kingdom, which has grown in regard, only grown with time. That's 2016 to 2022. And then that ends, and you've said it was like the driest period of your career. Yeah. How is that possible? And what was what did that look like? You know, it's a really good question. I think I think part of it, you know, is also a result of how the business shifted from in room, you know, casting to self tape, because I I think that actors have a superpower when they're coming into a room.

38:51And like that meeting with John where I was auditioning for ER, playing three characters and emotional, telling the story and showing them what I could bring to this in 20 minutes, you know, and landing that plane and being clutch is is very I think it means a lot to the guys that are making the show or the people that are making the show. because you see that this actor is capable of doing this and when it counts, right? And on a self-tape, like, I'll see a self-tape, and you have no idea. How many takes did they do? Is it four hours? But sometimes you get on set and you've cast somebody and you realize, like, there's...

39:36Shawn Hatosy:That was the 900th take, yeah. You know, or there might be a personality. You know, there's all of that that goes into it. So I feel like I'm not sure exactly what goes into the decision making. But I certainly put myself out there after Animal Kingdom. And during, actually, towards the end of Animal Kingdom, you know, I could see that the end was coming. I was up for everything. You know, it just wasn't happening. And the fact that there had been this transition to self-tape was because of the pandemic? I think it was going that way anyways, to be honest. You know, I think the last in-room audition I had was for a show called Flaked that Will Arnett did.

40:17I remember, I'm not sure, but that was somewhere in the middle of Animal Kingdom. That was the last time I went into a room, you know, and I did the scene and booked it.

40:27Shawn Hatosy:And so how, when we talk about this being a dry period, how, do you have, do you remember specific numbers or anything of how many things you went for that just, it wasn't working out? It's so much. Really? It really is. It's like over 60, probably more. Since Animal Kingdom, I don't – you know, since I started Animal Kingdom, because that's what I'm saying. That's when we were sort of shifting towards that anyways. And COVID happened during – in the middle of season five of Animal Kingdom. So like 2021, right? Right. 2020, 2021. Yeah, there's zero. Not one self-tape have I booked. And when you tried to figure that out in your own mind, is it perhaps part of the contrast that people would see if they actually were interacting with you?

41:17Shawn Hatosy:You come in, you're this nice, charming guy, and then you can transform. If they don't see the actual you, they're just going right into a tape. Is that part of the issue? I think so. Yeah. I really think so. And I also think after a while of not booking, you start to doubt your instincts. I was wondering. It's got to hit your self-confidence. They probably can see it or something. You know, actually, I feel good about my self-tapes. I have them. They're all on a file. And sometimes, you know, I'll have to go back and find something. I feel good about them. But, yeah, I think what happens is you look at the description of the character and you see what they want.

42:02And so you lean in and try to give them that. And I believe that a great, you know, there has to be something that's you that comes into it rather than you giving them what they think they want. And that can kind of lead into what I'm going to say about the pit, which is I don't think I would cast myself as a doctor. Right. I don't I don't think a lot of people would look at, you know, me and say, oh, he's I see him as an attending physician. Right. So and if I did audition, I might have screwed it up or there might have been an executive somewhere who said, no, no, that's not who we think this should be.

42:41Shawn Hatosy:And so it was Wells who, by the way, I guess one of the first things that did happen after Animal Kingdom would be Rescue High Surf, the show that short lived. But six episodes, you're on there. He's making that. You direct another episode there. and then somewhere in that period, because that's 2024 to 2025, in that period is when you heard about The Pit? Yeah. During the strike, I knew that it was, you know, they were talking about going into production as soon as the strike ended. So I was aware of The Pit. What were you aware that it was? I was aware that it was a show that Noah and John and Scott were putting together.

43:23I knew Nina, who was also our production designer on Animal Kingdom, was creating a set as the strike ended it was you know it was a couple of years of being really quiet for me so financially it was yeah it was rough you know and uh and so knowing that john had a show that was shooting in town like all of the actors wanted to read it and and get in there and see what was going on and we knew we all also knew that it was a big cast big ensemble a lot of

43:55Shawn Hatosy:people that do have theater background it seems like they were seeking from what i remember we have done episodes with noah and patrick and they were saying i think that there was sort of a desire for people who have the mind of a and experiences of a theater actor because so much of this is live wire like like closest is that did that ever come up that that and and do you feel that that background has been useful i notice it when i see who they who ends up on the show You know, I spent a lot of time working in the theater, and I believe that that skill is very helpful here on The Pit. When I read that first episode, because they did send it to me, I was told that there really wasn't anything for me.

44:38So, sorry, you know. And I saw the Abbott role, and I thought, yeah, that's, who knows? You know, it's a cool scene, but is that the only— We should just also just remind people in that pilot or first steps, I don't even, it was ordered.

44:54Shawn Hatosy:Was it ordered? Yeah. Yeah. But like basically that first episode, a couple minutes into it, I just went and rewatched this morning to be fresh. You're hanging out on the roof after a shift in which I think a 39-year-old veteran has been hit by a drunk driver and you've been doing two hours to try to keep him alive. And now you're standing on the roof looking over the edge as if, you know, you're being tempted to jump. And the night shift is ending and the day shift is beginning and Noah shows up and comes up behind you or Dr. Robbie. And kind of a full circle moment for what happens in season two.

45:31Shawn Hatosy:But he's the one now. It doesn't seem like your character was actually seriously contemplating jumping. Maybe I'm wrong, but it gives you the sense of what these guys, the weight of what these guys are dealing with. Yeah, there's this, there's clear trauma there, hidden trauma that we, you know, in these little flashes and glimpses of character, you know, Scott and the writers have layered in. And, yeah, you get a character who is, he's got some edge to it, right? And you feel that stress, as you said, and by the end of that season one, those roles are reversed. And Dr. Robbie's – we've seen the shift from hell and we see the toll that it takes on Dr.

46:21Robbie as the leader and that Abbott has to then kind of walk him off.

46:26Shawn Hatosy:Now, you said when you were sent the script, it was not with a specific part. It was with the sense that there might not be a part. It wasn't like highlighted Abbott scenes or anything. So how does it go from that to you being cast? I gave up on the idea. I just read it. And, you know, I more just wanted to see what they were up to. And I didn't think anything of it. I went off and I directed Rescue High Surf. And then as they got close to production, maybe two weeks before they started, I got a call saying you know this abbot role is gonna you know it could be like five episodes one at the beginning and then they wanted to know if i would be available because we start in june or july we started in july and then they were saying but could he come back in december which was a long way away and an odd thing to commit to because you know if something else should come along.

47:24What are you going to do?

47:26Shawn Hatosy:Right. And how much information did you have at that time about beyond the pilot? So that's when Scott sent me like a bit of a, you know, maybe two page backstory of Abbott and, you know, talked about he's a combat medic and a veteran who was a single leg amputee. You know, he sort of talked about his history of how he became an attending and his schooling and, um, you know, that, that he also suffered some trauma with, uh, with his, his wife had passed away and it doesn't really go into specifics, but so I'm like, Oh, this guy's got some, and, and it did say that he'll be, he'll show up towards the end to, as the mass casualty incident.

48:11Shawn Hatosy:And that just to, I guess, re-familiarize or remind folks since it's already where you're already on shooting season three people have been watching season two so it's been a little while but um when he returns it's in a scene that i think you've said was enlightening to you about who you're dealing with because isn't he he's helped he comes in to help with dealing with the smash casualty shooting and he's got a blood bag on And we don't even know yet that he only has one leg, but it's on the leg that's there. And he's giving blood while working. What did that tell you about this? That was it for me.

48:51I was like, this guy's all right.

48:54Shawn Hatosy:Totally. Yeah, I love him. From that moment, I was like, oh, I really, really like this guy. I get him. I understand. And like, it's so nice to have these small pops of character, like we talked about. You see him on the roof. He's clearly affected by losing a veteran, right? So that's telling us a little bit of something. And then Abbott leaves, but he leaves behind this letter to the family of that veteran. And another way of giving exposition in the most character-driven way, you know, that doesn't feel like, oh, they're showing us, right? We're feeling it. And so his presence is on the show.

49:38It's in the world. It's kind of ubiquitous. You know, again, the pregnant teen comes back. You know, we learned that Abbott fudged her numbers so that she could get the procedure she needs. So they've done such a wonderful job of teeing this character up so that by the time this mass casualty happens and Abbott walks through the door and Robbie gives him a hug. It's like, you know, we've been dealing with all these residents, interns. People are getting things spilled on them. People are passing out because they're seeing like too much blood. You know, the parents are here. Yeah.

50:12Shawn Hatosy:Well, this is the only person to some degree until Al Hashimi shows up in season two who can sort of talk to him on the same level. He's the only other attending and they have a long history, which we learned bits and pieces about, I guess. And also the only person who maybe can initially recognize and has the feeling that he can say something about Robbie's increasing emotional, mental instability, right? I mean, there's the we we find out in the season one finale, not only that Abbott has lost the leg, but also you're back, as you said earlier, back on the roof with Robbie. And I guess. Was it in that moment that he has this kind of monologue, right, about?

51:07Shawn Hatosy:Well, let me leave it to you. I mean, that was I think, you know, he asks the question at the first in that first scene on the roof. He's like, I don't know why I keep him back here. And it is this mass casualty incident that reminds him what his purpose is. This is not a job that everybody can do. It definitely has its emotional destruction to us, but we're the only ones that can do it. And there's incredible comfort in knowing your purpose. And so for me, this guy is, there's nothing he hasn't seen, right? So not only in the ER, right, but he's a combat veteran. He's lost his leg. So there is nothing.

51:51He literally hasn't. He's seen the worst nightmares imaginable to a human being, you know, and that doesn't faze him. Nothing fazes him anymore. And you have two guys who, when it comes to medicine, there's nothing they can't solve. They can do anything. They know what to prescribe. But when they're dealing with their mental health, they are lost. And that's just a beautiful, sad truth.

52:23Shawn Hatosy:And to some degree, I guess it's good that their various crises are not happening at the same time because they can be there for each other. Exactly. And you're seeing Robbie on the anniversary of the day that his mentor passed away during COVID. and so many of these little flashbacks that give you perspective. You think that he's the one that has it together. Everybody's leaning on him as their leader, as the dad of one of the patients who walks through the door, as the lover of another. He's being pulled in so many directions, and you're starting to see him in all of his flaws and all of the cracks.

53:06So Abbott shows up and, you know, it kind of revives him. You know, it becomes about Robbie's survival and Abbott is the lifeline.

53:15Shawn Hatosy:So season one that comes to an end, you've done four episodes of season one, right? Get nominated for the first time in your career for an Emmy in the category of best guest actor in a drama series. guest actor because I guess the way they define it, I don't remember the exact percentage, but in that season, it was guest acting in the second season where you've done seven. This time around, you're nominated for best supporting actor in a drama series. But how big a deal? I don't want to gloss over this. After all these years of doing this, you get nominated, you go to the Creative Arts Emmy ceremony, Ron Howard comes up there and announces that you've won an Emmy.

53:59This is before, by the way, I guess a week or whatever before the show goes on and Noah wins and Catherine wins and the series wins Best Drama Series.

54:10Shawn Hatosy:But like you were the bellwether. So what was that like? I was just hearing you say it. You know, I get emotional thinking about it because it was learning that I was nominated. It nailed me emotionally. I was overwhelmed. I was so thrilled. and then to go through that whole experience and have Ron Howard who we've been talking about actor-directors and he's somebody that I look up to. And as an actor and as a kid when I would stay home from school, he was on my TV, you know, on the Andy Griffith Show. And then when I would come home from school, like Happy Days was in rerun. That guy is so important to me.

54:50And, yeah, that was a huge, huge moment. And I won an Emmy before Noah. That's right.

54:56Shawn Hatosy:Well, so meanwhile, by the time you guys were getting your Emmys, I think you might have already been back shooting season two, right? Correct. And was it clear based on the – like basically how much of it was always there was going to be more of Dr. Abbott in season two versus – I mean people just totally responded to your performance and you. And he became somebody that people wanted more of to the extent that there have only been increasing calls for this night shift whole spinoff of you and Luke Tenney and these guys who people – a group of people who people love – who viewers love. But like do you know was the plan always that we would have more of Dr.

55:42Shawn Hatosy:Abbott or was that a response to popular demand? I'd have to ask them. I'm not sure. They've really done a really nice job in writing him, and I love playing him. So whatever capacity they need him, I'll be there. Including a night shift spinoff? Including a night shift spinoff, or if they want to spend more time with a night shift during the day shift, that's fine. The characters are just unique, and the ones that decide to work night, like you said, we have Dr. Cruz, Dr. Tamarian, and now you have Dr. Ellis, who has moved over. they took her from Abbott and she'll be on the day shift now and then Dr.

56:22Shen you know there's a bunch of misfits working together those night crawlers

56:26Shawn Hatosy:that's great just since season 2 is the one that's now being evaluated by everyone I want to just hit you on a few things here it's not until episode 7 that we actually get to see Dr. Abbott again but then he's comes in in a big way like a storm I mean he comes into the ER with the injured officer. That's how we learn that he works during the day as a SWAT team medic at the recommendation of his therapist who told him he needed a hobby. I mean, I don't even know. I guess it begs the question, like when seriously, like when does this guy sleep? Did you have to figure that out? Yeah. I don't think he does a lot of sleeping.

57:04I think he's one of those guys that, you know, is always trying to find stuff to keep him busy. Yeah. I remember talking to Scott after season one ended and they were taught, they were breaking the season two down. And I was curious what Abbott's involvement was. And I found out pretty early on that I wasn't back for the first episode. And I was like, yeah, what does that mean? You know? And then he said, you're going to be back in episode seven.

57:29Shawn Hatosy:I was like, Oh, that's a long way. That is why is he back in episode seven? He only works nights. This can't be good. Right. Something bad must happen. right is he gonna jump off the roof or what and so he told me that you know that this is a very real thing that the the SWAT teams bring a a doctor with them and you know somebody that who has uh who is you know who has training in um in law enforcement so yeah I was I was like oh that sounds pretty cool and sure enough that's uh that's what Abbott's up to and it sort of also gives you another glimpse into that that layering of these little lines that you hear season one he He says, I was just listening to the police scanner and I heard the mass casualty.

58:09So I came in, you know. Yeah.

58:11Shawn Hatosy:Unusual guy. We also, as noted earlier, we know he's a widower. He, I'm sure, in some ways is very affected by that. We get hints of that. But at the same time, he is quite a flirtatious guy. And I wonder how much of that is scripted versus kind of being playful on the day. because we're seeing sparks between him and Dr. Mohan and him and Dr. Al-Hashimi, I think. What's going on with that? There are kernels of it in the script, and any chance I get, I try to let him fly, as they say. And yeah, the stuff with Dr. Mohan, it's layered in there. And I think that it's a nice little dynamic that we've taken for as much as we can.

59:02Shawn Hatosy:And then Dr. Al-Hashimi, I guess we'll see. I don't know. We don't know. Obviously, you know, but where exactly in the chronology season three picks up. So I don't know if – I guess we'll find out if she's still on call or if Dr. Ravi's back or whatever. So maybe more to come on that. But before we move on from season two, you directed On the Pit for the first time the 3 p.m. episode, which just to remind people is – and correct me if I'm misremembering any of this. But I believe the aftermath of the cyber attack when they bring in the nurse who's the sort of retired nurse who's quite a character.

59:44Shawn Hatosy:We have Dr. Mel's sister showing up in the ER. We have Javadi screwing up in a big way. we have the kid who's blown off a couple of his fingers and then we find out what's might be behind that we got the cancer patient played by your fellow Emmy nominee Brittany Allen and then in the end of that episode Robbie telling Abbott basically if I don't see you again after it could be interpreted as if I don't see you again before I go on my leave or if I don't see you again period, right? And this was kind of one of the first signs that he might be really thinking of not coming back. So that's a lot to cover in a single episode.

1:00:27Shawn Hatosy:I mean, all of these are pretty tightly packed episodes, but tell me about why was that the episode you wound up directing and what was it like biting that off? It was the luck of the draw. I think that's how it works out for me usually, you know, as a director, I get what, um, what I get, you know, and I, I thought the episode in tone was beautifully structured in terms of, you know, there is a, there's a levity to it, but there's also this incredible emotional stakes. Yeah. The stuff with, with Mel and, and, and her sister. And then, like you said, the Roxy character. There's also the stuff with the cancer patient who has some tough decisions to make played by Brittany Allen who is also headed to the Emmys as a guest acting nominee, the creative arts Emmys.

1:01:19Shawn Hatosy:Sorry, did you – I forget. And then did you finish her? Yeah, no, and just Tal Anderson played Becca, wonderful, also an Emmy nominee. Just the emotional stakes of that relationship sort of begins. And we get to see, as you said, the beginning of Robbie's goodbye parade, which Noah pointed out as I was blocking it, that, you know, this was really his understanding from the point of view of Dr. Robbie that he's going to have to start saying goodbye to people and what that means to him. So we sort of really started to highlight it there. And that walks him into the scene with Whitaker where we really start understanding Robbie's motivation or that there might be something else behind his motivation to take this sabbatical.

1:02:03And he asks Whitaker to take over. So, yeah, there's just so much. There's just it's just so much going on. Right. With the characters. You know, in this show is as a director, you're the style is pretty clear. You know, you're not doing big wide shots with, you know, different, you know, crane.

1:02:24Shawn Hatosy:It's very specifically over the shoulder. You know, it's very cinema verite. And in some cases quite dictated by the previous episode, right? Because this episode eight, I think, leads right into where you are at the beginning of episode nine. So you, I guess, have to really closely follow how they're handling episode eight. Yes, I was there when they found, like, the end of that day. You know, I'm very curious how they're going to block that because I don't know how we start episode nine until they finish episode eight. Yeah. The season finale of season two, Abbott tells Robbie, quote, want to know why I've never killed myself after what I saw, lived through, losing my leg, losing my wife?

1:03:03Shawn Hatosy:Because it comes for all of us. We can't let ourselves succumb to it. Yes, life can suck. It can be unbearable and brutal and ugly and heartbreaking. But it's also beautiful and hilarious. That woman and her baby would both be in the morgue if you hadn't been here. That's what we're here for, close quote. What's it like to learn and deliver a monologue like that in an episode like that? Yeah. You know, just being able to do it with Noah and John, who I've worked with, I don't know, 20 times as a director. I'm just very comfortable with him. and I wanted to explore the emotional side of Abbott to try to break through to Robbie.

1:03:47You know, we don't get to hear much about him talking about things like losing his wife and losing his leg. So I know in order for him to get to that point, he must be running out of options, and that's what he's doing with Robbie. He's got to show him emotionally what the cost is. And I also thought that these guys are prepared for everything. You know, you talk about a mass casualty incident. They have a playbook. You know, you never know if it's going to happen. But they've got the binders. They've drilled this. They know exactly what to do when it shows up. You talk about the system going dark and everything turning analog.

1:04:31They're prepped for it. They have the answers. They know exactly what to do. They're going to walk this staff through it, and they're going to get through it, and it's going to work and they're going to save lives. You talk about a resuscitative hysterotomy. This is something that doesn't happen. Maybe, you know, I talked to our tech advisor. He's like, I've done one of these in my 50-year career. So in my mind, Abbott had never done one. This is his first. He's never done it. And he needed Robbie in there not because he couldn't do it himself, but he wanted to experience it with his friend because this is cool.

1:05:03What they're doing is amazing and it means something. And I really enjoyed how John put our scene right at the scene of that procedure. And like I said, it feels really good going all the way back to ER and working with John and that very challenging character to now be in a scene where I have full trust in the guy that's blocking it and talking to me about it. So it felt pretty good. That's awesome.

1:05:32Shawn Hatosy:So with the last minute, just three brief big picture questions and then I'll leave you alone. But I have to ask, OK, so the first Emmy nomination is not a fluke. You're going back. You're going back again, as I said, this time in the category of Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series with two of your co-stars, Patrick Paul and Garen Howell. Among 13 total acting nominations, it's almost the entire cast that we see on a recurring basis at least. The show is the most nominated show of all things on television, 25 Emmy nominations, not just most nominated drama series, most nominated show, period, way up from season one, which was pretty great, too.

1:06:12Shawn Hatosy:Are you guys kind of you've already as a show been so recognized for season one. Do you become kind of does this become old hat or what is that what does that feel like? It's incredible. I mean, it really is incredible. I look at the pit and it's a rocket ship. It just keeps going up and it is wonderful to be a part of a show that is critically acclaimed. It is wonderful to be a part of a show that as the rocket ship goes up, everybody seems to watch globally. That's exciting. But it's also really cool to be a part of a show that changes the conversation about what these medical professionals are dealing with, how fragile the system is, how challenging it is.

1:06:58And, you know, I am motivated by when I walk out on the street and somebody comes up to me and says, I watched The Pit and because of your character, I decided that I'm going to go into medicine or I'm going to go into nursing school. I hear it all the time. Or I'll meet somebody that says, yeah, I couldn't watch your show at the beginning. It was too real. It made me feel like I was at work. and I don't need to go back to work. But then I powered through it and it was cathartic. And I'm so glad I got through it because it just makes me feel better.

1:07:34Shawn Hatosy:Number two of three, how far along is season three right now? And without going beyond what you are able to, are we looking at a presence of Dr. Abbott that's closer to season one where there were four or season two where there were seven? slash are you directing? I'm directing. I'm actually started directing Friday. Oh, you did? Amazing. Yeah, my first day of production. And what number episode is that? Number five. Number five, okay. That's all I can say. That's all you can say. All right, fair enough. Had to ask. And finally, just in terms of, you started to touch on this, but in terms of interest from the public, but also opportunities from the business, which if I'm doing the math correctly, your first roles were, well, I mean, if we really want to go back and count, like Avalon, you were, came out when you were 14 years old.

1:08:28Shawn Hatosy:That's 1990. Here we are 36 years after that. You know, just how are things different now because of the pit? Again, personally, just your interactions with people who've seen you in something and also from the business. Are you feeling already, I know it's because you're still so involved with the pit. I don't know how much freedom you have to do, how much time or freedom to do other things. But just are you feeling a bounce professionally as well? I think so. I mean, I'm still working at getting parts. You know, it's not nothing's handed over. And I'm OK with that. I like working. You know, I like proving myself.

1:09:08I'm definitely having conversations with people that I probably wasn't going to be having with before. I just did a great show called Cry Wolf with Olivia Colman and Brie Larson and Sarah Tream is the showrunner. And I'm very excited. You know, I don't know that I would have been in the conversation if it weren't for The Pit. That's a limited series.

1:09:27Shawn Hatosy:It's a limited series for FX. Yeah. I really enjoy collaborating. As we talked about when I started in the chorus, you know, in the sixth grade, I enjoy collaborating with a team and creating a character. And the pit is a wonderful opportunity. And so was Animal Kingdom and so was Southland. You know, those shows didn't become the rocket ship that the pit did. But I'm really proud of my work there. I really pride myself on being an actor who has a lot of range. So I feel like, yes, it is odd to all of a sudden being in the spotlight at 50, right? But like you said, it's been 36 years coming. I feel really good about it.

1:10:16I feel like I'm just getting started, you know, and I'm excited to see all of these opportunities continue and hopefully be able to do it while I'm doing this wonderful character, Rabbit, who I've really fallen in love with. Awesome.

1:10:32Shawn Hatosy:Well, keep up the great work and thank you for doing this. Really appreciate it. Thank you.

1:11:01Shawn Hatosy:and provide details about special live recordings of the podcast that you can attend. Until next time, thanks again for tuning in.