With out cost nurse Dana Evans, Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Middle wouldn’t be capable of run practically as easily because it does on The Pitt. And the Tv Academy acknowledged that, with Katherine LaNasa, for Excellent Supporting Actress in a Drama Sequence, receiving one of many present’s 13 Emmy nominations on July 15.
“I’m simply so happy with everyone,” LaNasa tells TV Insider. Under, Katherine LaNasa opens up about that Emmy nomination, celebrating with The Pitt solid and crew, and extra.
Congratulations! Discuss discovering out in regards to the nomination as a result of it’s so effectively deserved.
Katherine LaNasa: My husband was right here to get a haircut from the hairdresser on the present, so he determined to return early in order that he might hearken to the nominations. And it simply occurred that we acquired a rest room break proper at 8:30. I don’t assume the ADs meant it. I used to be really standing behind them. It simply occurred to be that Noah requested to make use of the restroom then. And so then all of us acquired a break and I ran up right here. It was proper at 8:30, after which they introduced everyone, however they didn’t do my class, they usually’re like, “And that’s it.” After which I mentioned, “I acquired to return down.” And my husband was attempting to look it up on-line. I used to be like, “I’ve to return to work.” So I went all the way down to work they usually have been rehearsing and it was a trauma scene the place I enter the scene. So I’m standing on the market and my make-up artist, who was additionally nominated, simply comes and she or he’s simply one in every of my favourite individuals at work, she’s simply one in every of my favourite individuals on this planet, and so she’s the one that allow me know. And so we have been simply quietly huddled, like hugging within the hallway, so it was actually, actually cool.
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And that’s superb to be on set of the present that you just’re nominated for as a result of that doesn’t occur too usually.
I do know. It was actually cool. I’m simply additionally so happy with everyone. I imply, it was simply Noah Wyle and mainly a bunch of unknown individuals, after which this juggernaut got here out of it. I imply, it’s an amazingly gifted crew and extremely skilled writers, however all these youngsters, a variety of them didn’t have very a lot expertise and we simply flung this factor collectively and it labored.
I noticed all of the celebration images and video from the set. What was that celebration like?
I haven’t seen something. I had a good lunch break, however I used to be simply returning all my private texts. I haven’t actually even acquired on-line. It was simply enjoyable. My husband was on the market and my boss got here up, Scott Gemmill and the pinnacle author, they usually have been ready to go in and inform everyone, after which Scott introduced all of the 13 nominations to the entire crew. We’re all actually tight. And so I believe it’s simply a variety of satisfaction. Everybody’s actually fairly humble, so I believe everybody’s simply tremendous comfortable for everyone. They’re similar to, God, that make-up and the particular results make-up, so lots of the departments, so deserving. I simply thought that the directing, I simply thought everyone was so deserving.
What in regards to the work that you just put into your excellent efficiency and the character of Dana are you most proud to see acknowledged?
Effectively, I’m proud that I pulled off that Pittsburgh accent as a result of I’m from Louisiana, so a variety of tears. Bought to thank Susanne Sulby, who was one of many those that labored on Mare of Easttown. I used to be listening to Mare of Easttown within the bathtub for the seventeenth time, and I had let it run the final episode, after which the extras simply got here on. After which I discovered the dialect coach from that who directed me to Susanne, who’d accomplished many of the different actors, and so she’s the one that basically helped me. So for me, that was the factor that was the largest leap, the factor that I didn’t know if I might do. I believe I didn’t know if I might do this. I believe I had an innate sense of who the particular person was, and I don’t actually know the place that got here from. It’s form of like there’s a little bit little bit of performing that’s kind of magic. Generally you need to be proper for one thing, you’re simply okay at it, and generally you’re not likely that particular person in any respect, like Dana, and she or he simply got here into my creativeness.
Which scenes specifically particularly stand out you from Season 1 now wanting again?
I don’t know. I simply need to go along with how they really feel. I actually preferred, it’s a really temporary scene that I had with Jake [Taj Speights] after he misplaced his girlfriend. I simply go over and provides him a hug. I believed that was a very lovely, very tiny scene. I preferred doing the scene with Mel [Taylor Dearden] within the hallway when she was on the steps, and I simply inform her she doesn’t need to know all of the solutions, and I cherished the scene in chairs once I get to interrupt up the battle, I’m like, “This ain’t Philly!” I imply, that’s simply actor enjoyable to only get to be that massive and loud. I usually like these scenes in motion pictures. I do know lots of people assume that issues are overacting once they’re large, however I believe generally watching somebody explode is absolutely satisfying. So it was enjoyable to additionally get to be the particular person doing that scene.
What stands out is Dana is absolutely the glue that holds this ED collectively, and I really feel like due to your efficiency.
Oh, I don’t know. I didn’t know — I form of had this sense going into it that they needed this kind of very equitable really feel on the set, they usually have been anticipating that of all of us. So I had a sense that the important thing to the character and likewise to Katherine enjoying the character was humility, that every part ought to simply really feel like being of service. And so I believe that’s perhaps what got here by means of.
On the finish of Season 1, there was this query about whether or not or not Dana would return to work. Very glad to see that she does.
You and me each!
What are you able to share although about how Dana’s doing after this time bounce?
Not an excessive amount of, however the fact is that I don’t know the place she’s going to go. I do know that I can simply say that it’s a considerably modified Dana from having gone by means of that have and that I believe Scott mentioned that in the event that they didn’t give it 10 months, a good period of time, they didn’t actually really feel like they may have Dana again straight away. … What’s vital about today is that it’s Langdon’s [Patrick Ball] first day again, so he’s simply out of rehab, so he’s again. In order that’s essentially the most vital factor in regards to the day.
Are you able to say if Dana’s emotions about Langdon have modified from that scene we acquired of them within the finale?
I can’t say how Dana feels about Langdon anymore.
Talking of Langdon, you have been so good in that scene within the finale as a result of we see how a lot Dana is holding in what she’s been going by means of and having everybody else depend on her when she’s wanted somebody.
It’s humorous that you just talked about that. It’s actually exhausting for me to see myself, however I might say once you’re speaking about standout scenes, that was a scene that was notably enjoyable to do. I imply, working with John Wells — and he directed that — it’s doing a play and he simply permits for lots of freedom and he additionally simply asks questions and pushes you to in a method that reveals much more that you just than you thought was on the web page. I went into that scene pondering, I’m simply form of presupposed to be powerful on Langdon, so he feels squeezed and he doesn’t have wherever to go, and I believed it was Langdon’s story, Langdon’s storyline, and you then’re sitting right here telling me that you just felt such as you noticed all of this about Dana, and John introduced that out by the questions he requested or what he needed to see, and it made his downside my downside as a result of I care about him a lot, and I didn’t know I used to be going to get to that. I imply, I really like John Wells. He’s actually a grasp.
One of the essential and greatest and regular relationships on the present is Dana and Robby. Whenever you’re speaking about that relationship and also you’re going into Season 2, are you speaking about it as a relationship that has to maintain evolving in a significant method or are you it as extra of a relationship that’s the regular calm that it was in Season 1?
I can’t say an excessive amount of about what’s occurring with us, however I do assume that you just’ve acquired to comprehend that Dana’s been there 30 years. I do know precisely what Robby’s story is, however he’s round my age, so I believe he’s been there in all probability fairly a very long time as effectively. So I do see them extra as a sister and brother, like a giant sister, a little bit brother. I do assume that that’s pretty steady.
Yeah, it’s so good. You and Noah collectively are so good.
He’s nice. He’s the most effective.
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There was some nice Dana and Collins (Tracy Ifeachor) moments in Season 1 and now, Collins isn’t returning. Are you able to say, are we going to see Dana leaning on anybody else and have comparable scenes like that with none specifics?
I don’t know. We’re simply in the midst of three. They don’t give us a lot prematurely. There’s a number of medical issues I do know that I’m going to want to arrange for, so I do know these issues, however I don’t know. There’s sure issues I have to get an training about in an effort to do them higher or appear extra like an actual nurse once I do them. So that they deal with that, however they don’t inform me the place I’m going, and I don’t ask. I form of like to only play what they wrote as we’re going and never fear about the place it’s going to go.
Talking of the medical stuff, as a result of I do know there was the bootcamp for season one, how a lot of a bootcamp was there for Season 2, or was it form of simply brushing up on the issues from Season 1? And may you discuss that bootcamp course of basically?
There was some stuff, as a result of there’s some new stuff that’s going to occur in Season 2, so there was some movies to observe. There was some stuff to bear. It’s not enjoyable. It’s all simply tremendous intense, nevertheless it was solely a day or two, after which I really went again to the hospital once more, went again to County once more, and I’m going to do some extra work at some totally different clinics and issues to get some training on among the new storylines.
How a lot of that bootcamp for Season 1 helped you actually form the character of Dana?
Quite a bit. You understand what actually helped me can be a man there that may be a massive medical educator within the emergency area, and he’s now on the writing employees. However simply to see these guys within the emergency medication area, they love John Wells as a result of he introduced a lot consideration to their work that John is in a position to usher in simply the most effective of the most effective on this emergency medication area to advise us and to see how exterior of labor, how emotional they have been about their work and about what individuals had gone by means of since COVID and issues like that, it simply made me see the toll it takes on individuals, how a lot they care. I requested a easy query of one in every of our advisors and answering me, it made him cry about what was a very good day and what was a foul day, and also you simply acquired to really feel it. I believe that was essentially the most, was actually seeing how deeply affected they’re by their work and the way a lot they bear and the way a lot they maintain, and the way a lot they maintain in in all probability to go residence to their households.
Are you able to say one phrase to explain Dana and one phrase to explain the present for Season 2?
I don’t know the place Season 2’s going. As far as The Pitt, I might say thrilling. Dana, Cool.
The Pitt, Season 2, January 2026, HBO Max