You don’t get a bigger breakout opportunity than a show likeThe Pitt.Taylor Dearden’s already made a big impression in the gone-too-soon MTV seriesSweet/Viciousand the second season ofAmerican Vandal, butThe Pittjust sent her star soaring in a wholly different way.
The Pittis undeniably (and deservedly) one of the most celebrated new shows of the year and Dearden’s performance has proven to be an especially big standout among an ensemble full of aces. She plays Dr. Mel King, a second-year resident about to begin her very first day at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital’s emergency room, aka, The Pitt. While there are nerves at the start of the shift, Mel’s an extremely skilled doctor who excels under pressure and also has the emotional capacity to connect with patients in ways others can’t.
With the show on the cusp of what could be an extremely successful Emmy season, Dearden carved out some time on a day off from filming Season 2 to swing by theCollider Ladies Nightstudio and run through her experience playing Mel and adapting toThe Pitt’sone-of-a-kind filming schedule. We also took the time to zero in on a few key scenes from Season 1, one of which has become an especially beloved fan-favorite — the “Savage” scene.
That ‘Savage’ Scene Even Caught Taylor Dearden By Surprise
“You should always be surprised by her.”
In Season 1, Episode 1, “7:00 A.M.,” Mel and Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball) tend to an extremely lethargic child. Ultimately, they discover he’s in such a state because he ingested his father’s cannabis gummies, a predicament that demands child services get involved. In Episode 2, “8:00 A.M.,” Langdon notes how uncomfortable Mel seems with the situation, and she tells him, “I just hate seeing families torn apart.” He assures her everything will be okay, but she needs a moment to herself. While in the ambulance bay, she finds comfort in reciting the lyrics of Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage.”
During our interview, Dearden confirmed “Savage” was always the song scripted for that scene and shared her reaction to first reading that story beat. “It came out of the blue for me as the actor reading it going, ‘Really? Savage? Okay!’” From there, it was about figuring out how to make the moment surprising but also feel authentically Mel.
“I was kind of like, ‘Are we going for realism?’ Because, realistically, neurodivergents like myself, it’s not a mantra. We have something tactile. We might listen to a song on repeat and have a pattern or a rhythm or fabrics or touching or going through and cracking, whatever it is, is usually multiple things in one. Because once you occupy every part of yourself, then you can’t think of the thing you’re trying not to think of. So if you’re hearing something else, you’re seeing something else and your hands are doing something else, then you can’t think of whatever it is that’s stressing you. And so I think for that, at first I was like, ‘I don’t know if this is the right move.’ And good for Scott for going, ‘It’s the right move.’ Letting go and believing him, too, was great. I think the thing with Mel is you should always be surprised by her, but not like, ‘Well, that doesn’t make sense,’ but like still surprised.”
Dearden admitted, “It felt ridiculous at the time.” However, she then added, “Watching how it ended up in the show as a whole was like, ‘Oh no, that was a perfect moment.’”
What Else Is On Mel’s Playlist?
Dearden can’t wait to find out what else showrunner R. Scott Gemmill has in mind.
Wondering what else might be on Mel’s playlist? So was I. When asked for other songs Mel’s listening to, Dearden put the ball in creator and showrunner R. Scott Gemmill’s court. “I kind of want to know what else Scott’s thinking. I don’t want to put all of my ideas in. I kind of like the, tell me what else she likes, and then I’ll add to that.”
Dearden’s confident she’ll be quick to adapt to whatever Gemmill throws her way courtesy of her improv training.
“That’s where the improv training really, really helps … Some actors will read something and it goes against character in some way and they’ll just do it anyway. And you’re able to tell. I can tell at least. Where it’s just like, ‘Yeah, that wasn’t motivated by anything real. You’re just regurgitating something it’s not.’ And so, to do improv, to try and find, it’s quick thinking to find rationale and everything. Even dramatic improv is just to get yourself looser. It’s all about change though.”
’The Pitt’s Taylor Dearden Reveals a Major Series Star Will Direct an Episode of Season 2 [Exclusive]
He’s also writing even more episodes this season.
It’s abundantly clear that Dearden’s improv training and her ability to roll with the unexpected has served her quite well onThe Pitt. Not only is she hugely successful at making Mel both a surprising and cohesive character, but she’s also thrived with the show’s one-of-a-kind and extremely demanding production process. Looking for more on that,the Mel and Langdon relationship, where things could be heading for the character in Season 2, and more? Be sure to check out our full Collider Ladies Night conversation in the video at the top of this article, or you may listen to the interview in podcast form below:
The Pitt is a medical drama developed by veterans of the television series ER. The series will follow healthcare workers set in Pittsburgh, showing he challenges faced in the modern-day United States by nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals.
