Fiona Dourif on embracing her second act, and how her late mother led her to The Pitt

Noah Wyle may lead HBO Max's The Pitt, but the supporting cast of characters has caught the public's imagination in a way no ensemble show has for years. There was a character arc for everyone, whether it was workaholic Dr Samira Mohan, ADHD-driven protege Dr Frank Langdon hiding a huge secret, or Dr Cassie McKay, a second-year resident in her 40s who was a single mom and, as fans later discovered, wore an ankle monitor for an undisclosed court order. 

Fiona Dourif, a long-time horror actress, was cast as McKay and tells HELLO! that she felt an affinity with the resident because both found their way later in life. "I've had struggles that were abnormal, and so has McKay," she said. "John [Wells] and Scott [Gemmill] were looking for a streetwise quality that can bleed into empathy as McKay brings a life experience that was very difficult, but can let her empathize with people who haven't had it that easy." 

When the second season opens, viewers will meet McKay 10 months after the events of the first. Yet as she continues to struggle with the fallout of the last year, there is a new lightness to her as she looks to the future. 

"McKay is now 42 and is looking at what she wants her life to look like when she dies. What has she not been paying attention?" says Fiona, 44. "I think a lot of women in their middle age fall into this idea of giving to other people and not figuring out what they like and then realizing it would be very nice to be touched! I've been there, and it's nice to write that story for a character in her forties because it's true for a lot of women."

The actress tells HELLO! about building bonds on set, poker nights with Katherine LaNasa and Patrick Ball, and how the passing of her beloved mother has informed her life...

Check out Fiona’s full interview here:

https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/874260/fiona-dourif-the-pitt-season-2-exclusive/