{"id":2012042,"date":"2026-06-25T07:00:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T04:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2012042"},"modified":"2026-06-25T07:00:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T04:00:02","slug":"gerran-howells-rise-on-the-pitt-is-just-what-the-doctor-ordered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2012042","title":{"rendered":"Gerran Howell\u2019s rise on \u2018The Pitt\u2019 is just what the doctor ordered"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Gerran-Howell-1.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-2947849\" class=\"post-2947849 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_71 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>Features<\/span><span>TV Interviews<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_72 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_72\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Gerran Howell\u2019s rise on \u2018The Pitt\u2019 is just what the doctor ordered<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_73 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_73\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>The Welsh actor first saw success on British kids&#8217; show &#8216;Young Dracula&#8217;, but it&#8217;s as quiet, kind emergency physician Dennis Whitaker that he&#8217;s finally making a name in Hollywood<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_75 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_75\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> James Mottram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-06-25T08:00:02+01:00\">25th June 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_77\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_78  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_80  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_81 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Gerran-Howell-1-696x442.jpg\" alt=\"Gerran Howell interview The Pitt\" title=\"Gerran Howell 1\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Gerran Howell: CREDIT: JJ Geiger <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_82\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_83  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p><strong class=\"dropcap big-read-dropcap\">\u201cW<\/strong>ho am I listening to at the moment?\u201d ponders Gerran Howell. \u201cLet me look at my Spotify\u2026\u201d The Welsh actor starts scrolling through his phone, name-checking American band Geese, their frontman Cameron Winter and musician Daryl Johns. His eyes light up. \u201cI\u2019ve got a little Whitaker playlist.\u201d Ah, now we\u2019re talking. Dr Dennis Whitaker. Nebraska native. Former med student. And one of the leads in HBO\u2019s <i>The Pitt<\/i>, the Emmy-winning real-time medical drama that\u2019s turning Howell into a major star.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Read more:<\/strong> The best TV shows of 2026\u2026 so far!\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>So what\u2019s on the Whitaker playlist? \u201cThere\u2019s some funk in there, because that is a character trait that hasn\u2019t been delved into yet. Why is he such a funk fan?\u201d He chuckles, thinking of the glimpses we\u2019ve already been given \u2013 including Whitaker\u2019s Edwin Starr-themed ringtone. \u201cIt\u2019s also things that get me in the mood\u2026 things that just get me in his head space a little bit, things I imagine he listens to \u2013 to comfort himself.\u201d From Southern Gothic (Ethel Cain) to Gospel (Pastor T.L. Barrett), the list goes on\u2026<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Wearing a black t-shirt and a baseball cap with a \u201cP\u201d embroidered on it, Howell is speaking via Zoom video call from Los Angeles. It\u2019s the second day of the World Cup and Howell is planning a trip to the SoFi Stadium to watch USA vs Paraguay, along with Taylor Dearden, who plays Dr Melissa \u2018Mel\u2019 King in the show. \u201cWe just got some tickets,\u201d he beams. But he\u2019s mostly excited for the UK to catch up on the dramatic final episodes of season two. \u201cIt feels like it\u2019s been a very long time coming. It\u2019s taken about a year and a half for <i>The Pitt <\/i>to hit overall. I hope people are hungry for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3952981\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3952981\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3952981\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Gerran-Howell.jpg\" alt=\"Gerran Howell interview The Pitt\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2800\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3952981\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gerran Howell: CREDIT: JJ Geiger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Ravenous more like. <i>The Pitt <\/i>is what most telly-savvy viewers have been talking about this year. \u2018<i>ER<\/i> meets <i>24<\/i>\u2019 may be the sell, but that doesn\u2019t begin to cover the exhilarating nature of the show, with each season arc depicting a gruelling 15-hour shift at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Centre\u2019s emergency room. Season two has had everything from eight-hour erections to ICE agents, as well as wonderful human drama \u2013 led by Noah Wyle\u2019s burned-out senior physician Dr Michael \u2018Robby\u2019 Robinavitch (Noah Wyle), who is on his final day before a much-needed three-month sabbatical.<\/p>\n<p>Howell\u2019s Whitaker is returning as a newly-qualified doctor \u2013 following the \u201cshift from hell\u201d that was season one, when he was a green-around-the-gills fourth year med student. \u201cHe\u2019s completely in his stride now, he\u2019s clearly given himself some comfort methods, I suppose,\u201d Howell says. \u201cI think it\u2019s a bit of a mask, to be honest with you. I think he\u2019s thrown himself into the work, overly making himself useful to avoid slipping back into [the horrors he faced in] season one, but it\u2019s working for him \u2013 and that\u2019s how he\u2019s surviving.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m terrible with blood. If I get my blood taken, it\u2019s very likely that I will pass out 10 minutes later\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Season two also confirms that Whitaker has, potentially, crossed ethical boundaries, enjoying what his colleague Dr Santos (Isa Briones) calls \u201cfriends with farm benefits\u201d \u2013 alluding to his blossoming relationship with Amy, the widow of a farmer who died on Whitaker\u2019s first shift in season one. And yet Howell\u2019s empathetic portrayal has made him a fan favourite. Like the moment when he tells med student Ogilvie (Lucas Iverson): \u201cI like being here for people on the worst day of their lives.\u201d Howell smiles in recognition of the line. \u201cIt was significant because it\u2019s the first time I think he opens up emotionally, so I think that says a lot about him.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>With the first season winning five Emmys, including Outstanding Drama Series, one of the real talking points is just <em>how<\/em> real it feels. \u201cIt\u2019s such an immersive experience. There\u2019s nothing like it,\u201d says Howell, who is all too aware of how important it is to get such details right and show what medical professionals deal with on a daily basis. \u201cYou could really feel it in the room \u2013 how important this show could be for them. They just want to be seen. If it\u2019s something that these people can refer to\u2026 maybe something that is a reflection of their life\u2026 that\u2019s what I think we\u2019re always trying to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3952983\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3952983\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3952983\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lucas-iverson-gerran-howell-the-pitt.jpg\" alt=\"Lucas Iverson and Gerran Howell in &apos;The Pitt&apos; season two.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3952983\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lucas Iverson and Gerran Howell in \u2018The Pitt\u2019 season two. CREDIT: HBO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Arguably, one of the most telling moments comes as ICE agents arrive with an injured, detained undocumented woman \u2013 their presence sending patients and medics fleeing. \u201cYou could feel the weight of that, how big of an issue it is here, but I love that they\u2019re not shying away from that,\u201d says Howell. \u201cYou want to reflect what day-to-day life really is like \u2013 and the writers, they took a lot of care to get real stories and make sure this wasn\u2019t an exaggeration of what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As for Howell, he\u2019s learned to cope with a set that\u2019s awash with (fake) blood. \u201cIt\u2019s really weird. On the show, I don\u2019t get grossed out at all. Not really. If a prosthetic is a bit too real and there\u2019s a needle going in, sometimes that\u2019ll get me, but a chest cavity? No big deal. I don\u2019t know why. I\u2019m just thinking \u2018God, this is really expensive, I hope I don\u2019t break it!\u2019 But in real life, I\u2019m terrible with blood. If I get my blood taken, it\u2019s very likely that I will pass out 10 minutes later. That\u2019s happened! I\u2019m really, really bad with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p><strong class=\"dropcap big-read-dropcap\">H<\/strong>owell grew up in Barry Island, Wales, with the idea of acting a very distant notion \u2013 until his mother\u2019s friend, Karen Walters, the head of drama at Barry Comprehensive, recruited him for school plays. \u201cI was a very, very shy child, but I think I just had\u2026 it\u2019s a weird thing to say, but I had a big imagination,\u201d he reveals. \u201cIt was just a great outlet for that and, in hindsight, I think it was good to be able to express yourself when you are a very shy child. It allows you to literally follow a script and have fun \u2013 it gives you purpose, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Pitt Season 2 | Official Trailer | HBO Max\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Xq8x47ky2Tw?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>Around the age of 13, Howell auditioned for the CBBC series <i>Young Dracula<\/i>, playing the young Vlad as he and his family of vampires decamp from Transylvania to rural Wales. \u201cI still get a lot of people coming up and talking to me about <i>Young Dracula<\/i>. It was five seasons\u2026 it was a big part of my life. I\u2019m always surprised\u2026 do I still look like that? I looked foetal! Maybe I was trying to get away from that in some ways [with <em>The Pitt<\/em>].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Blessed with good genes \u2013 the 35-year-old still easily passes for early twenties \u2013 Howell\u2019s move from child star to adult actor wasn\u2019t entirely smooth. \u201cThere was definitely a transition, when I was in my late twenties, where there\u2019d be castings and they\u2019re looking for someone who looks 19 or 18, and I\u2019m 27 and then casting directors would be like, \u2018Yeah, but he\u2019s 27!\u2019 They wouldn\u2019t even want to see me. They\u2019d be like, \u2018There\u2019s no way this guy can look 18!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yet, babyfaced looks aside, Howell has found himself working with some highly accomplished directors \u2013 including John Boorman (<i>Deliverance, Point Blank<\/i>) on his 1950s romance <i>Queen And Country<\/i>, alongside Callum Turner, and Sam Mendes on his First World War drama <i>1917<\/i>. He played Private Parry, one of the soldiers that George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman\u2019s men-on-a-mission come into contact with. That\u2019s a lot of war, right there. \u201cMake from that what you will,\u201d says Howell. I\u2019ve got a face for war!\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cI have less places to hide, now that \u2018The Pitt\u2019 is out in the UK\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The Oscar-winning epic, all filmed in long, unbroken takes to appear as if one continuous shot, was a true baptism of fire for Howell. \u201cWe have long takes in <i>The Pitt<\/i>, but that is nothing compared to <i>1917<\/i>. They\u2019re both very well-oiled machines but, yeah, <i>1917<\/i> was a terrifying experience. I was very fortunate that my scene \u2013 blink and you\u2019ll miss me \u2013 happens at the very start of one of the cuts\u2026 I did mess up one take, which just makes me want to turn inside-out when I think about it, but thank god it was at the start.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Soon after, Howell made his first major foray into American television in <i>Catch-22,<\/i> the 2019 limited series based on the classic Joseph Heller anti-war novel. The rumour goes that it was his co-star George Clooney that recommended him to the makers of <i>The Pitt.<\/i> Any truth in that rumour? \u201cI still haven\u2019t got to the bottom of it,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m scared to ask. I know Noah and George are close but\u2026 If that is the case, it\u2019s good to know that as long as you aren\u2019t an arsehole, you can be recommended further on down the line.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As for Wyle, Clooney\u2019s former <i>ER<\/i> co-star, Howell is reluctant to call him a mentor. \u201cI don\u2019t think any of us expect that from him, but there\u2019s a lot of mirroring \u2013 the position that Dr Robby has in the ED, and all of us coming into this big, potentially scary job, and looking to him for support. Yeah, that\u2019s very much mirrored in the actor and the character. He really sets the precedent as a number one on the call sheet.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3952982\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3952982\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3952982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/gerran-howell-noah-wyle-The-Pitt.jpg\" alt=\"Gerran Howell and Noah Wyle in &apos;The Pitt&apos; season two.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3952982\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gerran Howell and Noah Wyle in \u2018The Pitt\u2019 season two. CREDIT: HBO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>With Wyle by his side, Howell now spends eight months of the year in LA making <i>The Pitt<\/i>. Does he miss Wales? \u201cI still get time to go home, go back to Barry when I can, and it makes me appreciate it more!\u201d As the show\u2019s fame has spread, so has Howell\u2019s\u00a0 \u201cI have less places to hide now, now that it\u2019s out in the UK. I was enjoying it being this big thing in the US \u2013 and then being able to hide back in my hovel in east London.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As production on season three is now \u201cramping up\u201d, Howell realises this could be, if not a job for life, then one that\u2019ll take him into the 2030s. \u201cThey\u2019ve created a bit of a lightning in a bottle [situation] and they\u2019re running with it,\u201d he smiles. Has he given thought to what comes next? \u201cI\u2019m genuinely just open to whatever comes my way,\u201d he replies, earnestly. \u201cYou can\u2019t really control that. You\u2019re a sailor on the sea.\u201d Maybe Captain Clooney can recommend him for another gig.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u2018The Pitt\u2019 is available to stream on HBO Max now. The season two finale airs on July 3<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Gerran Howell portrait credits:<br \/>\nPhotographer: JJ Geiger<br \/>\nStyling: Savannah Mendoza<br \/>\nGrooming: Candice Birns<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>The Pitt<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_88\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_content td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_89  wpb_row td-pb-row tdc-element-style\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td-block td-a-rec td-a-rec-id-custom-spot tdi_92 td_block_template_2\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_93\" 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class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p><strong class=\"dropcap big-read-dropcap\">\u201cW<\/strong>ho am I listening to at the moment?\u201d ponders Gerran Howell. \u201cLet me look at my Spotify\u2026\u201d The Welsh actor starts scrolling through his phone, name-checking American band Geese, their frontman Cameron Winter and musician Daryl Johns. His eyes light up. \u201cI\u2019ve got a little Whitaker playlist.\u201d Ah, now we\u2019re talking. Dr Dennis Whitaker. Nebraska native. Former med student. And one of the leads in HBO\u2019s <i>The Pitt<\/i>, the Emmy-winning real-time medical drama that\u2019s turning Howell into a major star.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Read more:<\/strong> The best TV shows of 2026\u2026 so far!\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>So what\u2019s on the Whitaker playlist? \u201cThere\u2019s some funk in there, because that is a character trait that hasn\u2019t been delved into yet. Why is he such a funk fan?\u201d He chuckles, thinking of the glimpses we\u2019ve already been given \u2013 including Whitaker\u2019s Edwin Starr-themed ringtone. \u201cIt\u2019s also things that get me in the mood\u2026 things that just get me in his head space a little bit, things I imagine he listens to \u2013 to comfort himself.\u201d From Southern Gothic (Ethel Cain) to Gospel (Pastor T.L. Barrett), the list goes on\u2026<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Wearing a black t-shirt and a baseball cap with a \u201cP\u201d embroidered on it, Howell is speaking via Zoom video call from Los Angeles. It\u2019s the second day of the World Cup and Howell is planning a trip to the SoFi Stadium to watch USA vs Paraguay, along with Taylor Dearden, who plays Dr Melissa \u2018Mel\u2019 King in the show. \u201cWe just got some tickets,\u201d he beams. But he\u2019s mostly excited for the UK to catch up on the dramatic final episodes of season two. \u201cIt feels like it\u2019s been a very long time coming. It\u2019s taken about a year and a half for <i>The Pitt <\/i>to hit overall. I hope people are hungry for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3952981\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3952981\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3952981\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Gerran-Howell.jpg\" alt=\"Gerran Howell interview The Pitt\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2800\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3952981\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gerran Howell: CREDIT: JJ Geiger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Ravenous more like. <i>The Pitt <\/i>is what most telly-savvy viewers have been talking about this year. \u2018<i>ER<\/i> meets <i>24<\/i>\u2019 may be the sell, but that doesn\u2019t begin to cover the exhilarating nature of the show, with each season arc depicting a gruelling 15-hour shift at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Centre\u2019s emergency room. Season two has had everything from eight-hour erections to ICE agents, as well as wonderful human drama \u2013 led by Noah Wyle\u2019s burned-out senior physician Dr Michael \u2018Robby\u2019 Robinavitch (Noah Wyle), who is on his final day before a much-needed three-month sabbatical.<\/p>\n<p>Howell\u2019s Whitaker is returning as a newly-qualified doctor \u2013 following the \u201cshift from hell\u201d that was season one, when he was a green-around-the-gills fourth year med student. \u201cHe\u2019s completely in his stride now, he\u2019s clearly given himself some comfort methods, I suppose,\u201d Howell says. \u201cI think it\u2019s a bit of a mask, to be honest with you. I think he\u2019s thrown himself into the work, overly making himself useful to avoid slipping back into [the horrors he faced in] season one, but it\u2019s working for him \u2013 and that\u2019s how he\u2019s surviving.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m terrible with blood. If I get my blood taken, it\u2019s very likely that I will pass out 10 minutes later\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Season two also confirms that Whitaker has, potentially, crossed ethical boundaries, enjoying what his colleague Dr Santos (Isa Briones) calls \u201cfriends with farm benefits\u201d \u2013 alluding to his blossoming relationship with Amy, the widow of a farmer who died on Whitaker\u2019s first shift in season one. And yet Howell\u2019s empathetic portrayal has made him a fan favourite. Like the moment when he tells med student Ogilvie (Lucas Iverson): \u201cI like being here for people on the worst day of their lives.\u201d Howell smiles in recognition of the line. \u201cIt was significant because it\u2019s the first time I think he opens up emotionally, so I think that says a lot about him.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>With the first season winning five Emmys, including Outstanding Drama Series, one of the real talking points is just <em>how<\/em> real it feels. \u201cIt\u2019s such an immersive experience. There\u2019s nothing like it,\u201d says Howell, who is all too aware of how important it is to get such details right and show what medical professionals deal with on a daily basis. \u201cYou could really feel it in the room \u2013 how important this show could be for them. They just want to be seen. If it\u2019s something that these people can refer to\u2026 maybe something that is a reflection of their life\u2026 that\u2019s what I think we\u2019re always trying to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3952983\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3952983\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3952983\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/lucas-iverson-gerran-howell-the-pitt.jpg\" alt=\"Lucas Iverson and Gerran Howell in &apos;The Pitt&apos; season two.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3952983\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lucas Iverson and Gerran Howell in \u2018The Pitt\u2019 season two. CREDIT: HBO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Arguably, one of the most telling moments comes as ICE agents arrive with an injured, detained undocumented woman \u2013 their presence sending patients and medics fleeing. \u201cYou could feel the weight of that, how big of an issue it is here, but I love that they\u2019re not shying away from that,\u201d says Howell. \u201cYou want to reflect what day-to-day life really is like \u2013 and the writers, they took a lot of care to get real stories and make sure this wasn\u2019t an exaggeration of what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As for Howell, he\u2019s learned to cope with a set that\u2019s awash with (fake) blood. \u201cIt\u2019s really weird. On the show, I don\u2019t get grossed out at all. Not really. If a prosthetic is a bit too real and there\u2019s a needle going in, sometimes that\u2019ll get me, but a chest cavity? No big deal. I don\u2019t know why. I\u2019m just thinking \u2018God, this is really expensive, I hope I don\u2019t break it!\u2019 But in real life, I\u2019m terrible with blood. If I get my blood taken, it\u2019s very likely that I will pass out 10 minutes later. That\u2019s happened! I\u2019m really, really bad with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p><strong class=\"dropcap big-read-dropcap\">H<\/strong>owell grew up in Barry Island, Wales, with the idea of acting a very distant notion \u2013 until his mother\u2019s friend, Karen Walters, the head of drama at Barry Comprehensive, recruited him for school plays. \u201cI was a very, very shy child, but I think I just had\u2026 it\u2019s a weird thing to say, but I had a big imagination,\u201d he reveals. \u201cIt was just a great outlet for that and, in hindsight, I think it was good to be able to express yourself when you are a very shy child. It allows you to literally follow a script and have fun \u2013 it gives you purpose, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Pitt Season 2 | Official Trailer | HBO Max\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Xq8x47ky2Tw?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>Around the age of 13, Howell auditioned for the CBBC series <i>Young Dracula<\/i>, playing the young Vlad as he and his family of vampires decamp from Transylvania to rural Wales. \u201cI still get a lot of people coming up and talking to me about <i>Young Dracula<\/i>. It was five seasons\u2026 it was a big part of my life. I\u2019m always surprised\u2026 do I still look like that? I looked foetal! Maybe I was trying to get away from that in some ways [with <em>The Pitt<\/em>].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Blessed with good genes \u2013 the 35-year-old still easily passes for early twenties \u2013 Howell\u2019s move from child star to adult actor wasn\u2019t entirely smooth. \u201cThere was definitely a transition, when I was in my late twenties, where there\u2019d be castings and they\u2019re looking for someone who looks 19 or 18, and I\u2019m 27 and then casting directors would be like, \u2018Yeah, but he\u2019s 27!\u2019 They wouldn\u2019t even want to see me. They\u2019d be like, \u2018There\u2019s no way this guy can look 18!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yet, babyfaced looks aside, Howell has found himself working with some highly accomplished directors \u2013 including John Boorman (<i>Deliverance, Point Blank<\/i>) on his 1950s romance <i>Queen And Country<\/i>, alongside Callum Turner, and Sam Mendes on his First World War drama <i>1917<\/i>. He played Private Parry, one of the soldiers that George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman\u2019s men-on-a-mission come into contact with. That\u2019s a lot of war, right there. \u201cMake from that what you will,\u201d says Howell. I\u2019ve got a face for war!\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cI have less places to hide, now that \u2018The Pitt\u2019 is out in the UK\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The Oscar-winning epic, all filmed in long, unbroken takes to appear as if one continuous shot, was a true baptism of fire for Howell. \u201cWe have long takes in <i>The Pitt<\/i>, but that is nothing compared to <i>1917<\/i>. They\u2019re both very well-oiled machines but, yeah, <i>1917<\/i> was a terrifying experience. I was very fortunate that my scene \u2013 blink and you\u2019ll miss me \u2013 happens at the very start of one of the cuts\u2026 I did mess up one take, which just makes me want to turn inside-out when I think about it, but thank god it was at the start.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Soon after, Howell made his first major foray into American television in <i>Catch-22,<\/i> the 2019 limited series based on the classic Joseph Heller anti-war novel. The rumour goes that it was his co-star George Clooney that recommended him to the makers of <i>The Pitt.<\/i> Any truth in that rumour? \u201cI still haven\u2019t got to the bottom of it,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m scared to ask. I know Noah and George are close but\u2026 If that is the case, it\u2019s good to know that as long as you aren\u2019t an arsehole, you can be recommended further on down the line.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As for Wyle, Clooney\u2019s former <i>ER<\/i> co-star, Howell is reluctant to call him a mentor. \u201cI don\u2019t think any of us expect that from him, but there\u2019s a lot of mirroring \u2013 the position that Dr Robby has in the ED, and all of us coming into this big, potentially scary job, and looking to him for support. Yeah, that\u2019s very much mirrored in the actor and the character. He really sets the precedent as a number one on the call sheet.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3952982\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3952982\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3952982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/gerran-howell-noah-wyle-The-Pitt.jpg\" alt=\"Gerran Howell and Noah Wyle in &apos;The Pitt&apos; season two.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1270\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3952982\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gerran Howell and Noah Wyle in \u2018The Pitt\u2019 season two. CREDIT: HBO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>With Wyle by his side, Howell now spends eight months of the year in LA making <i>The Pitt<\/i>. Does he miss Wales? \u201cI still get time to go home, go back to Barry when I can, and it makes me appreciate it more!\u201d As the show\u2019s fame has spread, so has Howell\u2019s\u00a0 \u201cI have less places to hide now, now that it\u2019s out in the UK. I was enjoying it being this big thing in the US \u2013 and then being able to hide back in my hovel in east London.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As production on season three is now \u201cramping up\u201d, Howell realises this could be, if not a job for life, then one that\u2019ll take him into the 2030s. \u201cThey\u2019ve created a bit of a lightning in a bottle [situation] and they\u2019re running with it,\u201d he smiles. Has he given thought to what comes next? \u201cI\u2019m genuinely just open to whatever comes my way,\u201d he replies, earnestly. \u201cYou can\u2019t really control that. You\u2019re a sailor on the sea.\u201d Maybe Captain Clooney can recommend him for another gig.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u2018The Pitt\u2019 is available to stream on HBO Max now. The season two finale airs on July 3<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Gerran Howell portrait credits:<br \/>\nPhotographer: JJ Geiger<br \/>\nStyling: Savannah Mendoza<br \/>\nGrooming: Candice Birns<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/features\/tv-interviews\/gerran-howell-interview-the-pitt-season-2-whats-next-3952979&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Gerran-Howell-1.jpg&#8221;] FeaturesTV Interviews Gerran Howell\u2019s rise on \u2018The Pitt\u2019 is just what the doctor ordered The Welsh actor first saw success on British kids&#8217; show &#8216;Young Dracula&#8217;, but it&#8217;s as quiet, kind emergency physician Dennis Whitaker that he&#8217;s finally making a name in Hollywood By James Mottram 25th June 2026 Gerran Howell: CREDIT: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2012042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2012042","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2012042"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2012042\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2012042"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2012042"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2012042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}