Gerran Howell attends L.A. premiere Of HBO Max's ‘The Pitt.’

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The Pitt star Gerran Howell is seemingly proud of his character Dr. Whitaker’s newfound self-assurance.

The 35-year-old Welsh actor has gone from a “wide-eyed farm boy,” as he puts it, in season one, to coming into his own during the show’s second season, which just wrapped last week. The HBO Max medical drama has found its biggest audience yet, drawing in 9.7 million viewers throughout the weekend.

It’s also become an awards darling since its season one premiere in 2025. Howell recalls a day on set where all of the actors were given time to take photos with the awards, but the fanfare didn’t last long. Much like the hospital setting of the show, The Pitt gets right back to business. “Everyone is obviously psyched about it that it’s getting the recognition it is, but yeah, it’s honestly back to work,” he says.

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“Of course there’s pressure now. There’s pressure to keep people tuning in every week and keep onto the magic that has got us this far,” the actor continues. “But The Pitt is a machine that just doesn’t stop, and we’re all in it together. Everyone’s very humble about it, to be honest. It’s just back to work.”

Below, the actor digs into The Pitt’s second season, Whitaker’s evolution and what he’s looking forward to next.

How are you feeling about these last few episodes?

Amazing. It feels like there’s been a lot of building to these episodes. I’ve been watching back home in the U.K., which feels a little bit different. Obviously, U.K. viewers only have season one, and I think a little bit of season two now, so I kind of feel away from it all in quite a strange way. Kind of disconnected from it. But it’s exciting and I hope people like how it wraps up.

THR exclusive photo of Gerran Howell.

JJ Geiger

Whitaker has certainly seen growth since last season. How was that for you to tackle as an actor?

I think I had a very easy job in season one of just letting things hit metaphorically and physically. I was a wide-eyed, naive farm boy [who was] overwhelmed. That was very easy to tap into, to be honest. Very fun to not necessarily be appearing like I know what I’m doing all the time, because I don’t.

What about coming into this season?

I was very excited that I got to shed that for season two. It’s 10 months on. You do need to show a lot of growth there, otherwise Whitaker wouldn’t be there, let’s be honest. You have to find him in season two a lot more comfortable. He’s taking up more space now. That was really fun for me to do. It was just about getting rid of all that fear that I was relying on — those instincts that come quite naturally to actors, letting it run its course in season one. It was really fun and therapeutic, but getting rid of that slowly was interesting. I really root for Whitaker. He’s really found his place now, he’s taking up space. I think he’s in a mindset now where he knows all I have to do is to be useful and I’m kind of good at that. I can make myself useful. So he’s kind of thriving a little bit when we find him, I think. Yeah.

Weekly episode releases can make viewers feel like they have more time to grow with these characters. How do you feel about the model for this show?

We spend a lot of time with these characters, and you are drip fed their lives, which is different from a lot of shows. It’s interesting because it is in one shift, so it can be tough to capture a full character in that format. But I think they really achieve it. You have no option but to spend time with these people, and you slowly see their cracks and their little quirks, but it’s not immediately obvious. The characters aren’t laid out in front of you immediately. I think it’s great. How do you think it differs?

I think when a show drops all at once — you’re still with the characters and watching them — but I do think you tend to forget more quickly. It’s out of your mind in a way a show that comes back every week isn’t. That can make you invested in their lives in real time.

Absolutely, and I think it’s shot very intimately. It’s all kind of documentary style in a way. But I think it’s a slow burn every time. The beginning of every season, there’s a time jump where you’re like, what has happened to these people? You really get to discover it slowly, and I think it’s great. You feel really connected to them. It gives audiences agency to spend the time to work out these people. It’s

Gerran Howell on ‘The Pitt,’ His Love for Whitaker and What’s Next