'The Pitt's Fiona Dourif Explains How Episode 14 Became an On-Screen Father-Daughter Reunion

Editor’s be aware: The beneath interview accommodates spoilers for The Pitt Episode 14.

Medical dramas are a dime a dozen on tv lately, however one present particularly has been drawing in increasingly more viewers every week, turning into a serious streaming success alongside all of its community counterparts. The Pitt, created by R. Scott Gemmill and starring Noah Wyle, follows the docs and nurses working within the emergency room of the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital in actual time as they go about what begins as an on a regular basis, garden-variety day shift. As we rapidly come to appreciate, although, the primary season’s 15 episodes (in comparison with what ought to usually be a 12-hour workday) have rather more in retailer for the employees of “the Pitt,” with their day culminating in an surprising mass-casualty occasion involving an lively shooter at an area music pageant.

Forward of the premiere of Episode 14, which wraps up The Pitt‘s first main disaster storyline to this point, Collider had the chance to talk with Fiona Dourif, who performs Dr. Cassie McKay, about a few of her character’s largest moments of the season up to now. Over the course of the interview, which you’ll be able to learn beneath, Dourif discusses why she was curious about becoming a member of a medical drama after years of taking part in in different genres, why Cassie McKay is “scarier” than any of her earlier roles, and the way The Pitt‘s newest episode grew to become an surprising household reunion when her real-life dad, Brad Dourif, was solid as Cassie’s father. She additionally discusses her character’s most vital on-screen relationships, her conflict with Dr. Robby (Wyle) over easy methods to deal with one specific affected person, and extra.

COLLIDER: I am excited to speak about The Pitt! I really feel like this present has simply caught on like wildfire on streaming. Each week, I see increasingly more folks screaming about it.

FIONA DOURIF: I’ve gotten a textual content or e mail from all people I’ve ever met in my complete life. [Laughs] It is actually, actually, actually cool.

‘The Pitt’s Fiona Dourif Explains Why Cassie McKay Is a “Scarier” Function for Her

Dr. Cassie McKay in The Pitt. — Picture through Max

Earlier than we get into episode specifics, you have labored in loads of totally different genres—horror, sci-fi, fantasy. I am interested in why you have been drawn to a medical drama. Did it have extra to do with this present, particularly, having enchantment?

DOURIF: I’d have at all times cherished to have been part of a medical drama, there simply wasn’t the appropriate position. After I learn the breakdown for this, I instantly thought I needed to do a model of it. It is each about being the appropriate vibe, but additionally simply luck of timing and age, and every little thing simply lined up. I like style. It’s my past love. I’ve a historical past of taking part in these sorts of feral characters, and this character is way, a lot, a lot nearer to who I’m — actually, nearly similar, together with the backstory stuff, and it made this a bit scarier.

Speaking in regards to the character’s backstory, one of many issues I actually get pleasure from about this present is that it sprinkles out the main points in regards to the docs and the nurses over the course of this shift. It isn’t like we’re getting some large infodump proper originally. After I talked to Taylor [Dearden], she mentioned earlier than the season even began, she received a breakdown of who Dr. King was, what her backstory was, to assist inform her efficiency. Did you might have the same expertise with Cassie?

DOURIF: In truth, I received that backstory with Taylor. We have been introduced in in teams of two, so me and her received it collectively. After we initially auditioned for it, we received a paragraph or two, and there have been a few sentences which matched a type of vibe that I feel I’ve. Then Scott Gemmill and John Wells sat each me and Taylor down, truly collectively, and informed me the backstory, and I nearly laughed, it was so near my actual life. I used to be like, “Oh, that is why you picked me!” I have never had that have earlier than.

One of many relationships that we get a way of early on as being a bit bit sophisticated is Cassie’s relationship together with her ex, Chad, and the custody state of affairs with Harrison, and the way that finally ends up spilling into her work day, too, particularly after they each present up on the hospital — and then Chloe reveals up. It appears like this gradual avalanche of increasingly more stress that is piling up on [Cassie] as she’s coping with so many different issues.

DOURIF: Then, proper on the finish of that, is when the mass casualty occurs, proper? It is a very irritating relationship that she is tied to, due to Harrison, with an individual who simply does not really feel like he actually sees or hears motive, which may be very irritating. I feel that is the general feeling that is there between them, or that McKay carries, and a way of injustice of simply coping with anyone who’s a manchild. I do not know in the event you’ve had this ex-boyfriend, however I definitely have, who you possibly can’t motive with. You simply need to stroll away, however you possibly can’t. After which to have it unfurl in my office, the sensation that I used to be experimenting with was embarrassment. I believed Rob Heaps was great and hilarious in it. Me and him truly ended up turning into pals. I actually just like the man as an individual. So, we had a bit little bit of chemistry, however in the end frustration and humiliation.

Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) and Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball) preparing for the honor walk in 'The Pitt' Episode 8.

Associated

‘The Pitt’ Creators Reveal Why the Present’s Greatest Emergency Wasn’t Saved for the Finale

The sequence is streaming now on Max.

Regardless of a few of her extra hectic relationships, I actually get pleasure from seeing the mentor-mentee dynamic that begins to develop between McKay and Javadi. It appears like McKay has a gentle spot for Javadi and that she’s making an attempt to assist this youthful physician discover her voice in loads of methods.

DOURIF: I am serving to the youthful physician discover her voice — and, additionally, undergo what appears like an initiation that I have been by means of. I feel that [Cassie’s] expertise and Javadi’s expertise in life are nearly polar opposites, so that was an fascinating dynamic to play with. I feel that she is a great child who I do know goes to be excellent at her job, however the factor that she lacks is my sturdy level. So, it was figuring out that. She might be smarter than me, in all probability did higher in class, however does not actually perceive essentially how the world works, which was the place I are available.

Extra street-smart, after which additionally coming to the job, it appears, a bit later compared to a few of these different docs.

DOURIF: Yeah. [She’s] from a distinct tradition. Additionally, there’s a cultural divide between my age and the youthful technology in a approach that feels truly fairly stark. I am fairly near Gen X, [and] I feel we have been truly simply raised otherwise. I used to be a latchkey child, and I feel that is very uncommon lately.

In keeping with ‘The Pitt’s Fiona Dourif, Cassie Does not Know Whether or not She Made the Proper Name About David

the-pitt-episode-14-jackson-kelly-fiona-dourif

One of many storylines that I needed to talk with you about is McKay’s involvement with the younger male affected person, David, who’s, at this level within the story, below suspicion of getting some involvement in Pitt Fest, particularly paired with what his mom discovers that he was posting on-line about feminine classmates. It culminates in him being detained and his mom pleading with him to get some form of assist, but it surely additionally results in this conflict between McKay and Dr. Robby. He is a bit crucial in pondering that she may need overreached in contacting the police. Out of your character’s perspective, is she satisfied that, on this state of affairs, she’s performed the appropriate factor and her resolution was the appropriate factor to do? Even when he isn’t in the end accountable, do you suppose she feels that she dealt with it appropriately?

DOURIF: I do not know if she does. She thought in regards to the stakes of it and what the results might be if he was able to what he wrote down that he might do. The stakes are actually excessive. However I do not suppose that she ended up actually satisfied or sure that she made the appropriate alternative. It is doing all of your finest. I feel she is aware of that she did her finest.

On the opposite aspect of it, on the opposite aspect of the stakes, is the injury that may be brought on to a child who is nineteen, who is clearly struggling, however then has the expertise of being arrested and suspicious, and the domino impact of that, I feel, can be fairly actual. In actual life, from my speaking to docs on set, they only find yourself having to make calls which are each right and incorrect, on reflection. So, I take a look at it as McKay doing her finest.

‘The Pitt’s Fiona Dourif Was Delighted To Have Her Actual-Life Father Taking part in Cassie’s Dad

the-pitt-episode-14-brad-dourif-fiona-dourif

On a lighter be aware, I used to be so delighted to see your dad [Brad Dourif] pop up in Episode 14. There’s an excellent shot the place the digital camera strikes previous somebody’s shoulder, after which there he’s, simply standing there within the midst of every little thing that is happening. Whose thought was it to have him on the present?

DOURIF: I do not know whose thought it was. My suspicion is that it was Noah Wyle, as a result of I do know that Noah had talked to me about my dad. Noah has seen, like, each certainly one of my dad’s films, and would speak to me about that. So, my suspicion is Noah Wyle. [Executive producer] Simran Baidwan was the one who approached me earlier than they put the provide out to my dad to see how I felt, and I used to be delighted. The Dourifs have been delighted. It was actually tender and particular.

It appeared such as you had enjoyable on set with him for a day, getting to hang around.

DOURIF: Two days! Two days, and we received dinner. We have been on set earlier than. The final time I used to be bodily taking part in him, with the identical face. So, this was totally different, however actually particular. I am extremely fortunate to have a dad [who’s invested] and I like hanging out with. Not all people will get that.

On the finish of Episode 14, in the course of the disaster state of affairs, McKay drills into her ankle monitor as a result of it begins appearing up once more, and she’s ignoring calls that pertain to that, after which we see the fallout from that when the cops present up on the finish of the episode. What are you able to tease, when it comes to how any decision will play out within the finale?

DOURIF: We have been ready for that script for a bit bit, and I used to be very impressed by how properly Scott Gemmill, who wrote [Episode] 15, tied up each final unfastened finish, and her character arc. I believed it was simply so spectacular. I have never seen it but, however I am excited to. However the script was wildly good. I can tease that there is loads of humiliation. There’s loads of humiliation and some quantity of resolve.

New episodes of The Pitt premiere Thursdays on Max.