Adam Patla
The Pitt has become known for its exemplary controlled chaos, revving up the tension and adrenaline week after week. However, some of its best moments come from its quieter moments, where we sit in the silence with the patients. One of the standouts in that silence came from Tina Ivlev and her performance as Ilana, a sexual assault survivor who receives treatment from Dana (Katherine LaNasa). The performance, which spans two episodes and is contained to one room during Ilana’s forensic exam, earned Ivlev her first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.
Before she even set foot on the set, Ivlev knew the responsibility that came with this role, saying, “[T]he first thing that I was focusing on before I did anything was just research. I just wanted to make sure that it was as real as possible to the character and it honored the character in the best possible way. And so I just kind of went through and I found a bunch of stories that people had posted and, you know, it was heartbreaking and it was very informative.”
Ivlev’s portrayal of Ilana masters a tricky duality. She never reduces the character or exploits her plight, but never diminishes her pain either. Ilana is strong but she’s also navigating a great deal of pain.
“I thought that, you know, something that I was in awe of was just the strength that it takes to really push through and to go to push onward and despite the pain, despite the heartbreak, and how strong you have to be to do that,” Ivlev says in regards to Ilana’s strength. “I felt like that’s something I really wanted to infuse the character with and just keep her strength, keep her a fighter. She’s trying to get through this and that was mostly what I had on my mind as I was preparing for it.”
Caring for Ilana is Dana, Emma (Laëtitia Hollard), and Dr. Al-Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi). Between the four women occupying the single location for Ilana’s care, so much care and intention is poured into the story. There’s a tremendous sense of sensitivity emanating from the screen.
“They were amazing,” Ivlev says about her scene partners. “I think they had done some prep work as well. They had gone to some trauma centers and they had researched and so, you know, they brought all of that into it as well. So they came from that and then we had doctors on set, we had nurses on set. We had, you know a SANE nurse on set. So we had a bunch of different resources that we could turn to to really ask questions.
“It was just so, I don’t know, I say the word easy, but it was,” she continues. “It felt like it was just like something that we just embodied this together and it kind of just ended up feeling so real and…was able to kind of pull me through in the best way.”
Despite having these supportive characters there to care for her, Ilana’s forensic exam is still a difficult experience for the character and for the audience to witness.
“The process can be retraumatizing….” Ivlev observes. “You’ve gone through this horrible thing. Now you’re coming in and you’re reliving it or, you know, you’re also kind of trying to just get through it and trying not to think about certain things.”
In centering the exam, though, Ilana remains the focus rather than the violence done to her.
“I think it was so interesting to see it from a different point of view, like where you don’t hear about it…and once she starts talking about it…they cut away from that, which is so interesting. Like all we really get is the exam and…that in itself is harrowing to watch.”
Ilana’s entire story operates in stark contrast to the liveliness that often permeates the hospital floor. Ivlev found the silence powerful and poured it into her performance. She says, “Silence is something that I think I for sure was aware of and used because I think it can actually create those emotions really well, at least for me, like because there’s not this hustle bustle. There’s not so much going on…you’re just still.”
Ilana’s story is a heavy one and one that happens all too often. At the core of it, and ultimately what makes it so resonant, is that audiences watch a woman being believed and taken care of after coming forward.
“It was just an incredible storyline,” Ivlev says. “I’m so glad that that was the heart of it. I think that is something we should see.”
You can watch Tina Ivlev’s nominated work on The Pitt Season 2, now streaming on HBO Max. Check out Awards Radar’s full interview with Tina below!
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