Of all the things that could have gone wrong on his first day in the ER, med student Dennis Whitaker (Gerran Howell) probably didn’t expect so many scrub changes. But, well, that’s exactly what happens in The Pitt Season 1. During our interview with Howell, one of the obvious topics of conversation was how ridiculous Whitaker’s experience has been — even in the context of this 15-hour shift being particularly rough on everyone. “I think he sort of has the shift from hell,” Howell told us, “I think he gets everything — the worst possible things — thrown at him…a death and then bodily fluids also thrown at him.” But he just doesn’t give up easily.
“With Whitaker, his sort of big obstacle is just his confidence. And the fact everything is so overwhelming, him being from like a small rural community, I think his biggest pitfall is just, it’s just a lot, like, being in a big city and then an emergency department on top of that. But I think there’s obviously real competence there. And…he just has to get past [figuring out] how to how to interact with people in this situation.” On the other hand, “I think his strength is the resilience, that he does bounce back from all of these things…I think he kicks himself, but he keeps going. So, I guess that’s sort of that’s commendable — I hope.”
We wouldn’t blame him if he quit after the first death — or the first bout with bodily fluids. But something keeps Whitaker going. Not only that, but he appears to compartmentalize well. Howell told us that Mr. Milton’s death at the end of The Pitt Season 1 Episode 2 coming “very early on” was “in some ways is a good thing” for his character “because…when the worst possible thing happens, you have to sort of really lock in and keep going. And he does.” Even so, “he keeps getting tested.” Part of that comes from Dr. Robby “pushing him in, rather than sort of telling him ‘take a step back’ [because] he just has to carry on regardless. So, maybe there’s a bit of a…he just has to sort of disconnect a little bit.” After all, “he’s getting a real crash course in, in everything…within about three hours.”
…a splash course, if you will.
Speaking of splashes, he really gets one in The Pitt Season 1 Episode 4. By this point, he’s already had to exchange dirty scrubs for new ones. And then, the incident with Mr. Krakozhia “The Kraken” happens. But a few hours later, in The Pitt Season 1 Episode 9, we see Whitaker have what’s actually a really beautiful moment with the patient. “That’s the point where he sort of finds that balance of like, the disconnect, but also the — the human element,” Howell shared. Even though Dennis may feel “personally attacked — for obvious reasons…he really sees the human there.” And it’s a situation where “he finally…connects with someone he never thought he could possibly connect with.”
As he tries to get help for the patient, Whitaker also learns “that there are potentially other things outside of the emergency department…and becomes interested in the whole street team aspect of it…And I think that shows him a little bit of hope in his situation, that he can maybe do this [job].” Of course, there are plenty of things the character can do that other people in the ER most definitely can’t — like finally defeating that rat. “I hope it brings a bit of levity,” said Howell, “specifically, what happens with Whittaker and the rat isn’t something that happens every day in the ER.”
So, while his valiant moment is “not something you’ll be like, ‘oh, I can do this too'” about, the actor hopes moments like that make Whitaker “feel a little bit more useful in a fun…way.” Regardless, it’s an opportunity for us to learn about him. “And he gets to show more of his character, in a weird way” because “through that, you know, people get to see his different skills.” Besides, with Dr. Santos bullying him and calling him Huckleberry for being a farm boy, it’s very much an opportunity to be like, “you want to see a farm boy, then I’ll show you a farm boy.” Consider the rat-catching bit “a bit of a redemption thing…and, hey, yeah, maybe you need a farm boy around here every now and again.”
And, to get back to the original point of how bad his first day at the hospital really is, that farm boy does have to go through a lot. But what’s it like as an actor? According to Howell, the trauma scenes “were scary, but the most…fulfilling things in the end.” That was true for a lot of the cast because “performing the procedures as realistically as we can…gets you out of your head a lot,” and “you can still find out a lot about the characters through those scenes.” Howell also described how “we’d finish those scenes, and it would be a bit of a blur, but people would be like, ‘oh, that was great. That was amazing.'”
MORE: You can get some more insight into why Dr. Santos is always punching down on “Huckleberry” (and others!) in our Isa Briones interview.
On what’s coming up in The Pitt Season 1
So, what’s next? Expect “some moments coming up — that I won’t spoil — that really show, again, just like a human element outside of all the trauma and the craziness. Whitaker does get some surprising interactions with people that I hope [viewers] will enjoy.” And as far as the overall plot goes, “it gets crazier. I think I can say that.” In case that’s “sounding way too mysterious, Gerran Howell also had this for you: “It’s also not what I think people will expect, which is very satisfying.”
Here’s hoping that’s just mysterious enough, whatever your theories may be.
MORE: We also got some insight into The Pitt Season 1’s human elements, and a little tease for the future, during our Taylor Dearden interview.
Watch our full interview with Gerran Howell here
Watch Gerran Howell in The Pitt Season 1. New episodes stream Thursdays at 9/8c on Max.
