The Pitt Star Was a Real-Life ER Nurse Before the Role: 'A Dream Come True'

The Pitt wrapped up its first season just a week ago, and it's already been official: the medical drama will come back with Season 2 in January 2026.

But more than the renewal of our favorite series, we all love some unexpected success stories. And Ned Brower knows a thing or two about those. The path that led him to the role of Nurse Jesse is the most interesting CV I've ever seen.

Ned Brower Was Everything You Can Think of Before Appearing on The Pitt

In the early 2000s, Brower began his career as a young actor. But after getting signed with his music band (Rooney) his acting career has come to its natural end. In a recent interview to People, he said:

“When my band got signed, I pretty much just jettisoned my acting career, which was going well, but I just was so intrigued with the band that I had to pick a path.”

Yet when Rooney broke up, Brower didn't return to acting straight away. Instead, he ended up becoming an EMT for the LA County Fire Department. And then moved onto the medical field, working as an ER nurse.

“Working in the ER, in a weird way, was similar to the things I liked about being in a band — kind of exciting, a little unpredictable, and you're working with teams,” Brower confessed.

Ned Brower Brought Authenticity to The Pitt

It all made Brower a perfect candidate for a recurring role on The Pitt. He himself noted this saying:

“[The Pitt] essentially wanted to populate this world with some real medical people to help bring realism to the world they were building. And I fell into this very unusual spot of being able to hybrid my performance background with my medical background in this very full circle way.”

What Do Fans Think About Ned Brower’s Character on The Pitt?

“I called this character “facts guy” because I never caught his name but he always seemed to be on hand for delivering key info,” Redditor EfficientEffort8241 shared.

“I hope he is bumped up to a main character next season,” Redditor HereIAmNow02 suggested.

Ned Brower Didn’t Abandon His Job as ER Nurse Despite The Pitt’s Success

As if we don't have enough reasons to love Brower already, he actually continues to work as an ER nurse. He told People:

“When The Pitt ended, I went straight back to ER work because I don't want to lose those skills either. I love doing both things and hope to be able to keep all these plates spinning.”

Well, and we're hoping to see more of Nurse Jesse next season. But for now you can watch The Pitt on Max.