Shawn Hatosy was part of the morning crew working on The Pitt‘s third season this morning when the Emmy nominations rolled in. As a group, they learned from creator R. Scott Gemmill that their hit medical drama had received a total of 25 nominations, the most of any show nominated for 2026.
Included in the 25 is one for Hatosy, who was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, his second-ever Emmy nod, following his big win for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for Season 1.
“I’m incredibly honored by this nomination, and I’m even more honored to be standing alongside this cast,” he expressed earlier today. To see The Pitt recognized with 13 acting nominations is extraordinary. As someone who loves actors and believes so deeply in ensemble storytelling, being part of a group this talented, generous, and committed means a great deal to me. And I’m very proud to be included in that company.”
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Although he was mostly tight-lipped about what’s ahead in Season 3 for his character, Dr. Jack Abbot, he did confirm that he will once again direct an episode. He first directed an episode of The Pitt in Season 2, and he shared how great it’s been to flex his creative muscles by directing.
More on that and Abbot’s relationship with Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle), seeing more of the character’s chill side in upcoming episodes, and what it’s like to work on The Pitt.
DEADLINE: Abbot was really there for Robby at the end of Season 2, when the latter really needed it the most. Robby has also been there for Abbot. It’s as if these two men know how to really get to the heart of one another. Why do you think that is?
SHAWN HATOSY: When it comes to my favorite thing about these two guys and how they deal with each other, when it comes to medicine, there’s nothing they can’t do. Give them the most intricate, difficult procedure, life-saving, all these techniques, medicine; they have it. But when it comes to their own mental health, they’re complete idiots. One of them is self-diagnosing himself and deciding to ride his motorcycle across the country without his helmet on. The other one believes that he’s fixing himself by working as a SWAT medic during the day while getting shot at. To see these very competent guys not be able to understand how to navigate the mental stress of this very challenging job is really the DNA of the show because we’re not equipped.
The people who are there doing this for real are in such a fragile system that is not equipped to handle the stress; the outlet becomes each other. What are the steps that we can take, and should we see a therapist? Are we allowed to talk about that, or is there too much of a stigma attached to how that makes you appear? And that’s the fascinating thing: these two are always going to be at odds. One’s always going to be on the roof, talking the other one off it, because that’s how it’s been set up in the beginning.
DEADLINE: With so much drama and trauma on The Pitt, is it too much to hope for Abbot to get his own happy ending?
HATOSY: Abbot is living on borrowed time, and he’s just happy to still be here. I really don’t know where they’re going to take the storyline, but I have really enjoyed these first two seasons and coming to this understanding of what his purpose is, even though when we first meet him, he’s kind of questioning that. He knows really what it is, and there’s tremendous comfort in understanding what you’re supposed to be doing, and, as I said, it’s borrowed time for him. I just find it to be so fun to explore; even in the worst moments, he can find the humor in it. And in this relationship between him and Robby, it’s packed with all kinds of emotions and turbulence, almost like a brotherly relationship. It’s like a sibling rivalry at times.
DEADLINE: It was really fun to see a lighter Abbot in Season 2. He was smiling and flirting a lot. Could we see more of that in Season 3?
HATOSY: I think that’s his way, and it also illustrates kind of how he handles his role as a leader. In contrast to Robby, his style is almost like, I want to say, dad-like about him. I don’t mean that in a good way. I mean that he’s sort of rallying everybody together, which I really enjoy. Abbot thinks he’s smooth, and he’s not, but I think that’s part of his charm. You’ll get to see a little bit more of that in Season 3, that I can tell you.
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DEADLINE: You’ve played so many interesting, scary, and fun characters across your career. How does working on The Pitt challenge you in ways you haven’t been challenged before?
HATOSY: Yeah, there’s something extraordinary that happens when I’m working on The Pitt. There’s this feeling sometimes when you’re acting in a scene- I’m talking about other shows- where you’re like, “Oh, I’m feeling it. I’m in it. I’ve just explored something, or I’ve dug deep here.’ It’s kind of like a drug that you feel as an actor. I think with The Pitt, yes, the language is challenging, and there’s movement that you have and choreography with the camera and the prop work, and when you get to the end of the scene, you don’t have that feeling like you’re on a drug.
Whereas on other projects, sometimes when you finish these scenes, you’re just like, ‘I fucking did it.’ It’s a different kind of feeling because you know you did something really difficult, and I’m happy to be done. I don’t know if that makes sense to you. As an actor, that’s kind of wild. And as a director, whenever I approach a scene at the end of it, you’re like, ‘Okay, that felt real. Was it grounded? Does that feel like we planned it? Did we just experience something that doesn’t feel planned that’s happening in the moment?’ At the end of it, you go, ‘Oh man, I did it. Look, Mom, I did it.’ That’s what it feels like.”
DEADLINE: Will you be directing again in Season 3?
HATOSY: Yes, I’m directing. Time is coming up here soon, and I’m looking forward to that. I haven’t received my script yet, but I should be getting it any minute.
DEADLINE: You seem to have really taken an interest in directing. Do you think you’d ever give up acting to spend more time directing?
HATOSY: I would love the opportunity to focus more on directing. But it’s competitive and challenging. I’m open to whatever comes my way. Right now, I’m still pretty early in my career as a director. Would I pivot fully away from acting? I mean, I might; it just would depend on what it was. I enjoy acting, and I find that playing different characters with all kinds of different colors and dimensions is something that is very attractive to me.
