As the highly anticipated second season of HBO Max's The Pitt premier today on January 8, 2026, at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, the medical drama brought even more exciting news: a third season renewal, announced the previous day, January 7, 2026, during an event of season 2 by HBO CEO Casey Bloys.
At the center of this success story is Supriya Ganesh, the 28-year-old actress who plays Dr. Samira Mohan, a dedicated and empathetic resident known for being a bit of a workaholic.
Fans of the show, including a group of ER doctors featured in one very eventful shift, have embraced Mohan's character. What they might not know is how close Ganesh came to becoming a doctor herself.
Ganesh is a former neuroscience major at Columbia University. She scored ninety-ninth percentile on the MCAT but chose to put her medical school plans on hold to pursue acting.
The MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) is a standardized, computer-based exam required for admission to medical schools in the U.S. and Canada.
When she first read the script for The Pitt, she was drawn to its accurate portrayal of science and the realistic, often harrowing depiction of life in a modern trauma center. Being MCAT-qualified, she even tutored students for the exam during her Season 1 shoot. The show has since opened new doors for Ganesh, allowing her to quit her day job as an MCAT tutor.
Midway through college, her focus shifted when she discovered acting and became captivated by this new form of performance, acting.
"I thought I was going to be a doctor, and then I switched midway through college," Ganesh recalls in an interview. She committed to acting, but the path was far from easy. Scripts were not coming her way, and opportunities felt scarce. Faced with uncertainty, she returned to what she knew best.
"My resume is the most padded to go to medical school," she explained. "There were still things I had to do, and taking the MCAT was one of them." So she prepared for the exam while continuing to audition, keeping the door to medicine open.
Then came the script for The Pitt. In her words, it felt "totally perfect." The role of Dr. Samira Mohan, a third-year medical resident navigating the chaos of a Pittsburgh emergency room, seemed tailor-made for her.
"I guess here I am, I can do both!" Ganesh said. In a way, she found a middle ground, portraying a doctor on screen while keeping one foot in the medical world as an MCAT tutor throughout the show's first season.
Dr. Samira Mohan has struck a chord with real physicians, and Ganesh understands why. The character embodies vulnerabilities medical professionals rarely discuss publicly, such as self-doubt, fear of mistakes, and the struggle to maintain emotional boundaries with patients.
"I hear a lot from doctors who really relate to my character because I think she shows how self-conscious you can feel as a doctor," she shared. "Feeling like you're making mistakes, feeling like you're not good enough, feeling like you cannot detach from your patients as easily as you would like, and spending way too much time with them."
Healthcare workers have reached out to express how deeply they connected with the portrayal, seeing their own struggles reflected on screen. For Ganesh, this validation is particularly meaningful given her own relationship with medicine.
"I really get it because that is part of why I was not sure if I could do it. I am way too emotionally sensitive to be in a place like the ER," she admits.
The Pitt, created by R. Scott Gemmill and executive produced by John Wells and Noah Wyle, has earned widespread acclaim since its premiere on January 9, 2025. The series follows emergency department staff through a single 15-hour shift at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, with each episode running approximately one hour.
The show’s format and commitment to realism have resonated with audiences and critics alike. At the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, the first season won five awards, including Outstanding Drama Series. The American Film Institute listed it among the ten best television programs of 2025.
Perhaps most tellingly, the medical community has praised the series for its accuracy and realistic portrayal of healthcare workers, particularly in addressing the psychological challenges faced in a post-pandemic world.
Ganesh brings a distinctive perspective to her role. Born on December 16, 1997, in the United States to Tamil parents from India, she moved to New Delhi at age three. She attended Pathways School in Noida, serving as valedictorian of her 2015 graduating class before returning to the U.S. for university.
Her acting career began while she was still a student, making her screen debut on CBS's Blue Bloods in 2018. Beyond television, she has ventured into theater, starring as Vaidehi in the world premiere of Deepak Kumar’s House of India at the Old Globe Theatre in May 2025.
(Rh/VK)