You may already be familiar with Iranian-American actor Sepideh Moafi from her role as an FBI agent on the 2022 Apple TV+ series Black Bird, or from her participation in perhaps the hottest queer throuple of all time on The L Word: Generation Q. But it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll see her in a whole new way on the second season of The Pitt.
The celebrated series, which returned to HBO Max on January 8, needed some new blood (pardon the pun) to round out a core cast that included Noah Wyle, Isa Briones, and Katherine LaNasa, and Moafi’s Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi is a wonder as she spars with Wyle’s Dr. Robby and tries to bring some measure of order to the madness of Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center.
Ahead of The Pitt’s return, Vogue caught up with Moafi about auditioning for the part with the flu, working with Wyle, and trying to get her head around the role of AI in both medicine and Hollywood.
Vogue: Congratulations on this beautiful season of TV! How are you feeling about The Pitt’s recent renewal?
Sepideh Moafi: It was such a beautiful premiere event, and hearing that news about the renewal for Season 3 all together in that room was amazing. You know, seeing Noah and [executive producer] John [Wells] and [series creator] Scott [Gemmill] react as they were about to step onstage was a pretty precious moment.
Were you a fan of The Pitt before you joined Season 2?
I was! When I started watching it I had the flu, and when I received the audition for the show, I couldn’t even speak. I mean, this flu knocked me out worse than both times I had COVID, so I thought maybe I’d prep a bit by just watching a couple episodes. I binged the whole thing in a day and a half. [Laughs.] I was a huge fan, and on top of that, once I read about my character, I just completely fell in love with her and her presence on the show and what she adds. It’s very exciting.
What drew you most to the character of Dr. Al-Hashimi?
She’s very clear-headed, and she’s well-intentioned. She doesn’t necessarily wear her heart on her sleeve, but her heart is always in the right place. She’s insanely talented, highly skilled, deeply ethical. She challenges the status quo. She shakes the culture up a bit, and she’s not afraid to challenge hierarchy. I kind of fell in love with her mind and her heart, because she’s equal parts intellect and empathy—she has this Promethean drive for innovation and the advancement of medicine and patient-centered care. She’s brilliant, and she’s deeply good and cultured and curious and humble. She’s all these qualities that I want to embody, so I learned from her every day.
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