I was surprisingly calm, my family freaked out: Laetitia Hollard on landing The Pitt

Actor Laetitia Hollard, who made her debut as nurse Emma Nolan in the Emmy-nominated medical drama The Pitt, is still processing the scale of it all. Answering India Today questions during a roundtable conversation, she spoke about her calm reaction to being cast, the emotional challenges of her role, and what it meant to play a character so close to herself.

‘I was surprisingly calm, my family freaked out’

When the news came that she had landed the role, Hollard's reaction was not what anyone expected. "When I heard the news, I was actually surprisingly quite calm," she says, recalling how she immediately called her parents and sister. "They were freaking out screaming, 'Oh my God, this is incredible.' And I was like, 'Oh wait, yes, yes it is.' I think I was still in shock from the news," she said.

‘A lot of care went into that episode’

One of the season's most demanding episodes saw Hollard's character Emma tending to a rape victim — a storyline that required as much preparation off-screen as it did performance on it.

Unlike the show's usual tight turnaround, she was informed about the sexual assault storyline nearly six weeks in advance. The team also arranged visits to UCLA's sexual assault facilities in Santa Monica.

"I went with Katherine, and we both had very specific questions about how the procedure works, who is allowed in the room, as well as the responses from patients and the emotional experience that a nurse practitioner can have. It was really interesting to learn that these cases are not always the same — some people come in distress, while others come in knowing what they want and saying, 'I want this, I want people to know about this.' It made me realise that, like everything in life, each case is different, and as a care provider, it's important to be there to help and provide the care and support that patients need," she explained.

Learning the language of medicine on the go

For a show rooted in realism, the medical jargon could have been overwhelming. The cast, Hollard reveals, relied on an unusual but practical method.

"We had medical books in the green room. We'd flip through them between shots," she said.

Playing a rookie nurse, it turned out, had its advantage. "Emma is still learning, so I could approach it like a student — absorbing knowledge while still being a novice in practice," she added.

‘Emma and I are 1000% alike’

The parallels between Hollard and her character run deeper than the screen. Both were stepping into their professions for the first time — Emma as a nurse, Hollard as a screen actor fresh out of The Juilliard School, one of the world's most prestigious performing arts conservatories.

“I grew up in Wisconsin. We’re known for being hard workers,” she said, adding that portraying a young Black woman from a small Midwestern community felt personal. "It was an ode to my younger self — smiley, kind, and maybe trying to bite off more than she could chew," she added.

Hollard explained that Emma’s kindness and naivety stand out in the chaotic hospital environment. She aimed to portray Emma’s sincere desire to provide the best care rather than focusing on medical expertise alone. Hollard found it rewarding to develop Emma’s arc, showing that beneath a cheerful exterior lies strength and complexity, especially highlighted in episodes nine and twelve.

What sets The Pitt apart

In a landscape crowded with hospital dramas, Hollard credits the show's commitment to authenticity as the thing that sets it apart. "We always have real doctors and nurses on set. If something doesn't feel real, we change it," she said, noting that Ned Brower, who plays nurse Jesse on the show, is a practising nurse in real life.

The experience even spilled into real life as Hollard recalled feeling inspired to support nurses’ rights after witnessing the demands of the profession up close.

The Pitt, which also stars Noah Wyle, Katherine LaNasa, Patrick Ball, Taylor Dearden, Isa Briones and Gerran Howell along with Laetitia Hollard, is streaming on JioHotstar.