The Pitt In Episode 14 titled "8 PM," Dr. Cassie McKay (played by Fiona Dourif) finds herself in cuffs at the episode's conclusion. As a 42-year-old single mother and second-year resident, she must constantly wear an ankle bracelet following a tense confrontation with her former partner’s unpleasant new romantic interest. During a major disaster impacting the setting of the TV series MAX, when the device stops working properly amid this chaotic situation, McKay takes necessary action: she modifies the ankle monitor.
While fans of MAX’s The Pitt We'll have to wait until next Thursday’s Season 1 finale to find out what happens next for Dr. McKay. However, we can verify that actress Fiona Dourif is already contemplating aspects of Season 2, particularly imagining how her character’s distinctive fringe might appear.
I recently had a haircut yesterday," she shared. "I decided, 'I must have bangs in June, but what if I change them up later?' You see, I grew tired of how they looked. Now, they're quite short. However, perhaps they've ended up being too short.
Later on, however, she playfully suggested that perhaps McKay might also sport shorter bangs in Season 2. "I'm not sure yet; I'm still experimenting," she said.
In addition to discussing hairdos, Fiona Dourif talked to us about what motivated Dr. McKay to enter the medical field relatively late in life and how this parallels her personal journey, which also sheds light on why her character feels compelled to help troubled teenager David. Jackson Kelly We explored how McKay views the new medical student, Victoria Javadi. Shabana Azeez ), who McKay is really close with in the emergency department, and much more…
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My initial query pertains to the fringe. The fringe looks excellent. Could you discuss the discussions behind McKay’s appearance and what message it conveys regarding her character?
FIONA DOURIF: What we truly aimed for, since everyone was wearing identical outfits, was to distinguish each character so their individuality would be evident from one another. This became particularly crucial in Episode 1 where numerous individuals were presented simultaneously. Hence, making my hair red was decided upon. The aim was simplicity with a touch of realism; the intention behind the series was to depict our characters authentically, as realistically as possible. Consequently, I've sported bangs which set me apart visually from others around me. Additionally, McKay might come across as somewhat enigmatic—perhaps occasionally indulging in music such as Joy Division. Thus, incorporating both bangs and a ponytail into her appearance felt fitting. Interestingly enough, I trimmed my locks only yesterday. It occurred to me then that having some variation in how long these bangs should remain wouldn’t hurt either. In fact, after getting tired of them rather quickly, I ended up cutting them quite short. Though perhaps this makes them appear slightly shorter than intended.
Through Javadi’s perspective, we initially become acquainted with McKay. I wonder about the experience of collaborating with Shabana Azeez during the production of the earlier episodes and how significant it might be for McKay to witness Javadi gradually build his self-assurance.
In real life, Shabana is like a standup comedian — which I don’t know if that comes across in the show — but she is really, really funny. So that was like a surprise and kind of delightful. How I looked at Javadi was she is exactly opposite to McKay. So what we bring to the table is going to be, she’s gonna be a very different type of doctor, but probably, maybe a little bit more brilliant. What I bring is life experience and connection and maybe like a little wisdom. I mean, she’s like a child genius and surprises me at the amount that she can do. Especially towards the end, she finds her feet, stands up to her mother, and, yeah, has the longest day of her life. The longest first shift that’s ever been.
From what we understand of McKay, she is a 42-year-old R2. She is a single parent who wears an ankle monitor. I'm interested in your perspective on her background leading her towards a career in medicine. Did her path get put on hold due to Harrison? Or was this field one she explored only after becoming a mother? Could you share more details about that part of her story?
Sure thing! When we landed roles and went through the table read, they revealed our background stories next. Interestingly enough, parts of mine were very similar to Fiona Dourif’s character’s story. That was pretty neat; it felt as though this role had been written specifically for me. This added an element of authenticity to how I approached the part. Fiona’s backstory involved quite a bit of partying and substance use along with making numerous poor choices before finding herself later in life—around the age of her first child. At one juncture, her missteps led to losing custody of her kid. Despite everything, going through such tough times allowed both of us to develop greater empathy towards individuals struggling deeply—a quality that connected me strongly to Sherry, the homeless woman in the script. In essence, overcoming personal hardships became a powerful asset.
After watching the entire season, there are several intriguing dialogues between McKay and David towards the end. Specifically, in Episode 14, you encounter a young man desperately missing his mother. Considering that Harrison is present elsewhere during these episodes, one can wonder: Is any aspect of her experiencing those maternal feelings? Could she be viewing David differently now? And what about Harrison—does she appear changed from a fresh perspective as well?
Absolutely, absolutely. The scene where Jackson Kelly screamed for his mother was particularly moving; it genuinely resonated emotionally during filming. Even though I’m unsure whether those moments were captured on-camera—I haven’t watched the final cut yet—it definitely struck me deeply. In many ways, David embodies aspects of McKay’s past and reflects potential outcomes for my own child. Reflecting back, I realize now how several choices from that period of my youth led down problematic paths. During our formative twenties, we often believe ourselves indestructible and overlook long-term consequences. My aim throughout has been guiding others away from such destructive behaviors, leveraging the second chances I’ve received personally. I've closely witnessed friends whose poor decisions at similar ages left lasting scars they couldn't overcome—a situation which unfolded over two decades ago but remains relevant today. This narrative truly mirrored certain personal struggles and lessons learned along the journey.
Early in the season, Langdon informs Javadi that your character usually stays apart from others. I'm interested to know if there is anyone in particular she interacts with. The Pitt Is there someone who you believe Cassie shares a connection with, perhaps a closer relationship with than might be immediately apparent?
Sure, I understand. Clearly, Mateo is fantastic; he's bright, engaging, and enjoyable both off-screen and on-set. My humorous take is always "Jalen for President" since he stands out as such an extraordinary individual at only 22 years old—having accomplished multiple career milestones and graduating from high school when he was merely 15. His accomplishments make him quite remarkable. Undoubtedly, Mateo makes his mark too. Additionally, it seems evident that she holds Robby in very high regard, much like many medical professionals do. On our filming site, this sense of admiration also extended towards Noah Wyle—it often felt like all of us genuinely bonded together during those moments. chuckling — in a single extended shift at a hospital, as it doesn’t look like a typical TV show. The intervals between scenes are minimal. You’ll also notice setup times for lighting, and it’s clear it was filmed on a set. The Pitt , you simply stroll into a hospital and end up spending the entire day there. And Noah Wyle, he’s akin to an accomplished genius figure skater, pulling off incredible maneuvers. His performance was incredibly graceful. Having him on set often made us feel as though we were truly skating along. The Pitt . [ Laughing] Everyone kind of identified with their character. It was truly a fascinating encounter. I've never experienced anything similar before.
The series has been renewed for an additional season. You previously noted that you want your fringe hair back in June. Does this imply that you'll be returning to filming around then? What aspects of the upcoming episodes excite you the most? Perhaps you're looking forward to revisiting characters such as Sherry or exploring further with another patient for better resolution. Or do you have interest in delving deeper into McKay’s past? I'm simply eager to hear which storyline grabs you the most.
Sure, I hope McKay gets some success in building stronger relationships with the characters. She had many ups during Season 1 and deserves a few more victories. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance seems challenging for her, similar perhaps to several other characters, yet I’d appreciate seeing her improve this aspect somewhat.
And perhaps shorter fringe. I'm not sure. Just experimenting with it.
The interview has been revised and shortened for clarity.