I Can't Believe This Actor Failed 60 Auditions Before Being Cast in 'The Pitt'

When I learned that Shawn Hatosy had received his first Emmy nomination for his role in The Pitt, I wondered how an experienced actor like him had only now been recognized.

Then I found out exactly how. It blew my mind.

Shawn Hatosy Failed 60 Auditions Before Landing the Role in 'The Pitt'

It turns out that the road to this success was far from smooth. Over the past few years, Hatosy has auditioned for 60 roles, none of which landed him a part.

In an interview with The Ankler, Hatosy admitted that a series of failures made him doubt himself:

“You start to question your instincts. And I'm like, oh gosh, maybe hopefully I'll get hired as a director. It's like you really question your identity.”

But then came the role of Dr. Jack Abbot in The Pitt, and everything changed.

Dr. Jack Abbot Is One of the Most Beloved 'The Pitt' Characters

Initially, Hatosy didn't want to take the role of Dr. Abbot because he didn't see himself as a respected doctor. However, John Wells, The Pitt producer with whom Shawn worked on ER, convinced him:

“Thankfully, he [Wells] trusts me, and I don't have to prove it to him. So Abbot became this very honest character, and it came to me at the right time.”

Ultimately, Dr. Abbot became one of the most notable characters on The Pitt, a show filled with outstanding performances.

This Emmy nomination is well-deserved. Despite his limited screen time, Dr. Abbot became more than just another doctor – he became a deep character with a military background and, as many viewers were surprised to learn, a prosthetic leg.

Hatosy admits that the character's essence came to him naturally:

“I didn't spend a lot of time trying to convince anybody, oh, I can do this. It just sort of was the essence of the guy. It's a wonderful feeling.”

Now, The Pitt is the biggest hit of the year, and Hatosy is getting the recognition he deserves.

If You Loved Hatosy's Dr. Abbot, Watch 'Animal Kingdom'

If you're interested in exploring Shawn Hatosy's filmography after watching The Pitt, then pay attention to Animal Kingdom, which has a 8.2 score on IMDb and 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The main characters are the Cody brothers (Hatosy plays the eldest, Andrew). They spend their time partying and doing drugs, and rob banks in their free time. The leader of the gang is their mother, Janine, also known as Smurf.

After Janine's daughter dies from an overdose, she takes care of her 17-year-old grandson, Joshua, who will now have to play by the rules of this family.