Editor’s note: The below interview contains spoilers for The Pitt Season 2 finale.
Now that Noah Wyle and R. Scott Gemmill‘s hit HBO medical drama The Pitt has finally reached its Season 2 finale, it feels like both viewers and characters alike can breathe a sigh of relief. Some of that might have to do with the fact that the hospital’s network is finally back online, right as the night shift crew clocks in to relieve the nurses and doctors who have faced any number of stressors — and one of the show’s newest additions is definitely bringing some much-needed “calm, cool, collected, and confident” energy.
Luke Tennie hadn’t even watched any of his Season 2 episodes when Collider caught up with him to chat about joining The Pitt, but he was excited for everyone — friends and family included — to watch his character, fourth-year resident Dr. Crus Henderson, finally roll into the emergency department of the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. Ahead of the finale’s premiere, Tennie discusses his experience of being on three of the best shows on TV right now — The Pitt, <em>Abbott Elementary</em>, and <em>Shrinking</em> — as well as which nickname gave him the most insight into Crus, the dynamic he established with co-star Patrick Ball, the experience of rehearsing and filming Season 2’s most visceral patient surgery, and more.
COLLIDER: How does it feel to be on three of the best shows on TV right now?
LUKE TENNIE: I mean, good. That’s nice. They’re all good for different reasons. Shrinking is this true union of drama and comedy, [Abbott Elementary]’s this hard comedy titan, and then The Pitt is the freaking Pitt. So, I can’t complain. Not only can I not complain, I can’t even fathom how I’m the guy who won the lottery three times — on the same lot! WB, man. So, I’m hype about it and really grateful.
In The Pitt, it’s not like someone shows up, and you learn their whole backstory in this huge infodump. Were you armed with any backstory for your character? Were you given leeway to make decisions about who this guy is in his off-time?
TENNIE: The most I learned about this dude was the character breakdown and the action lines. “Crus calmly… Crus, with confidence…” That’s pretty much it. So I know he’s calm, cool, collected, and confident. That’s a lot of Cs. He’s somebody who’s got a great ease about him in the ER. That’s an energy I didn’t see in Season 1. Abbot’s kind of got something like that, but he’s also somebody who’s supposed to mirror Robby, so he’s on the razor’s edge, as well.
I think they wanted a cool sort of counter for Langdon’s character because he’s somebody who’s obviously an exceptional doctor. The goal when a doctor struggles the way Langdon did is to keep that doctor because you want to keep people in medicine. You don’t want to lose people who can help people maintain their lives. But yeah, with Crus, he’s sort of the opposite of that wiry, as Langdon mentioned, ADHD sort of approach. He’s just the guy who’s always going for customer satisfaction. He wouldn’t be able to get that unless he’s calm, cool, collected, and confident. That’s Crus! Another C. The thing that taught me the most about the dude was his intro. Crus Control. That right there sums up who that guy is. You can relax because we on Crus Control.
‘The Pitt’s Katherine LaNasa and Patrick Ball Reveal Why Dana and Langdon Are Still Struggling After Season 2’s Time Jump
LaNasa and Ball also discuss Dana’s lingering trauma and Langdon’s post-rehab journey.
I previously spoke with Taylor Dearden about the transition that happens on set when the night crew rolls in. Do you feel like the set experience actually mirrors what your character’s experiencing in terms of coming in and having to start when things have already been cooking for however many hours? Do you use that to fuel the performance too?
TENNIE: It’s great because on The Pitt, continuity is such an important part of it. You can track how specific this team is throughout the course of the day on The Pitt. You’ll see a couple of flyaways on a couple of heads that you didn’t see at the top of the shift., and that’s intentional because that scene might have been the first scene they shot that day but they built in the flyaways because canonically in the story, chronologically, it’s been seven hours since the shift started.
We come in, the night shift, and they’re doing us all fresh-faced. That’s morning for us. It really does feel that way because you’re meeting the actors, and even the way they tease a little bit of hair getting loose from ponytail it’s subconsciously telling you even though it’s 8:00 a.m., it’s end of day. And then hospital kind of breathes, you know? It’s like you can tell it’s getting ready to inhale again. It’s trying to catch its breath. Just because of state continuity that’s so specific that there’s a lot you don’t even have to act. You just react to what’s actually in front of you which is really nice for an actor. The least amount of acting actually makes your job easier. When you don’t have to act like you’re wearing scrubs because you are wearing scrubs it’s great. When you don’t have to act like stethoscope is real because it is real stethoscope it’s great. You can actually just listen for heartbeat.
The only thing that we ain’t doing for real is cutting people up because that’s a different show and it’s not on HBO. In our show we like to make sure everybody’s safe. That’s only thing we take very very seriously regarding actors’ safety. A lot of stuff we use it’ll be real scalpel it’ll be dulled but still a real scalpel so if you work it it’s like knife you gotta be careful. There’s a lot you don’t have to act if you know that scalpel will tear prosthetic then need be careful because prosthetic imitates real skin as well.There’s so much that you don’t have to act that acting we have do that’s really required us bridge gap. We’re so far immersed in reality that by time we get there your brain creating reality it’s pretty exciting.
‘The Pitt’s Luke Tennie Reveals the One Season 2 Moment When Crus Loses His Cool
“Oh, shoot, Crus Control ain’t got control? This is serious.”
We’ve been talking about cool calm collected guy that you’re playing but you are at center some pretty high-tension patient scenes back half Season 2 Do feel any added pressure moments when have play somebody who not only has keep own head straight but sometimes has guide someone else?
TENNIE: One my favorite moments was when I got told by our lovely director Uta [Briesewitz] that there is moment where Crus not calm, and moment takes place when Langdon identifies possible C-spine paralysis patient I hope came across because first few takes I was like “Oh this Crus He’s like ‘Yo we’ve got fix this’” he’s locked But what happens regard they teed me up script I didn’t recognize it so glad had Uta there help me.
I was coming out elevator with guy after he just got back from CAT scan Garcia’s leaving bump into her way out I’m like “Oh surgeon’s leaving?” I start getting little nervous We go there I’m telling Langdon about it I’m getting little bit more nervous more tell him about it Then more he talks patient I’m like “I’m out my depth here.This something neurosurgeon would need handle I just watched surgeon leave elevator”. Now I’m kid my parent went go get shaving cream I’m at checkout line cashier looking me Everything scanned I’m like ‘Yo need somebody here who can pay!'” So that’s kind what happened moment.
When Langdon steps up it’s really exciting because instead attending physician coming being like “Hey I can pay” attending physician comes goes “Hey one you has some experience Get work” So we’re all flying by seat our pants That’s when Robby comes he’s one who’s calm cool collected I haven’t seen any it In scene all comes across like “Oh shoot Crus Control ain’t got control? This serious.” And that was one coolest things we got shoot because surgery purely physical. It didn’t involve no scalpels no ultrasound no X-rays It was all just physical surgery which really exciting play.
In terms surgery one scenario takes turn worse really quickly patient wild pregnancy who ends up having pre-eclampsia It really feels like it’s whole avalanche leading emergency C-section Do remember how many days filming took for sequence?
TENNIE: It was like week half To shoot episode The Pitt, it’s like two weeks so like 75% that episode was surgery. It was electrifying man It was so exciting see all moving pieces come together.
It’s weird but sometimes feel like more people add scene kind lessens percentage one actor has carry, we had I don’t know everybody room So each one us has like 5% opposed say two-hander each actor has 50% Or just onscreen like lot time it is Noah [Wyle], he’s just walking around carrying 100% show long It’s really interesting see But that’s teeniest team win I’ve seen on The Pitt, fact get be part it something just giggle thought finally being able see Oh man can’t believe finally Thursday man Everybody been hassling me like “Yo where this Crus we’ve heard much about Is he on way?” Sit tight!
‘The Pitt’s Most Intense Patient Scene Was Rehearsed in Background Season 2
“The reason why rehearsals work is because they take place during shooting…”
Is there lot rehearsal involved sequence like It’s not just high-pressure terms energy tension but then there are many bodies room?
TENNIE: We didn’t have very long The reason why rehearsals work is because they take place during shooting that’s it.There will be people down hall shooting scene for show we’re trauma room acting kind background when they’re shooting When cameras are off us we’re all whispering working through sequence running dialogue running movements motions doing handoffs.
One my homies [Xavier Avil], plays Medic Spratt he’s this real handsome African American medic He got arms look Dwayne Johnson him You seen him He I went same college He said it’s “chaotic symphony” Because he there Season so had done little bit work show before He come up phrase used describe Man there’s nothing more accurate.It’s chaotic symphony . Shoutout him He did great job want shout out Kacie Rogers well played sister this cool short we just did but also had couple scenes The Pitt. She’s one best actors I’ve ever seen She’s great.
There’s definitely big emphasis practical effects prosthetics making scene feel real possible It just feels there’s something tangible about scene where everybody’s hands involved not mention baby.
TENNIE: I wish had crew list front me I’m not remembering any our visual department teams’ names but done well practically would venture say about 5% computer graphics needed That probably why they’re able churn show out much They just try get camera Say have repeat something couple times like if have make incision usually prosthetics will incision after effect they’ll do scalpel entering skin but revealing prosthetic already open It’s like true marriage — just tiny amount visual effects top then you’re camera . That’s why feels real usually first maybe second thing you’re seeing computer graphics then you’re just seeing what we did.
For baby stuff I don’t know if they used any computer graphics We’re pulling baby out stomach setting table Like that’s legit That was some coolest visual effects work I’ve ever seen I’ve seen some creature stuff up close like thriller horror movies it’s different seeing what doctors would see At time when doing scene we were two weeks out from birth our secondborn Actually getting close end episode after we’d finally wrapped up scene I was like “This baby can come any day now hope doesn’t come when need O.R because Daddy’s got go O.R” But all worked out.There was day rest then my kiddo came next day . We had break Saturday she came Sunday It was insane.
‘The Pitt’s Luke Tennie Reveals His Wishlist for Season 3
“What does he feel like he can contribute? Where does he want to go?”
Perfect timing! At this point terms Season there’s probably not much can say even know Fans definitely love seeing night shift crew roll in really great see get part that Do have anything your personal wishlist Crus Control third season?
TENNIE : Honestly character relationships Something think really cool about Patrick [Ball] is when we were putting together our intro he’s like “Well I’ve been held back man So if you’re fourth year I’m fourth year I’m supposed fifth soyou were coming under me now we’re same level ” And I was like “Oh this an actor right here He’s digging these character relationships” I love hear it want explore some more
I want know yo does [Crus] know about Langdon’s issues details Because we’re learning about stuff Season it’s “Hey some people feel type way You know about beef Santos?” Because got little scene [Isa Briones], familiar with her characterThe character relationships something interested seeing Like what’s dude up terms what wants We know doing ultrasound fellowship Why does want What does feel contribute Where does want go Does want stay here emergency medicine Does want change That’s kind stuff want find out
Both seasons The Pitt are available stream HBO Max
