Some memorable guest performers from Season 2 of The Pitt are taking matters into their own hands after HBO Max omitted them from the network’s official Emmy entries.
Jeff Korber, who played Dr. Robby’s (Noah Wyle) biker buddy Duke Ekins, Luke Tennie, who played night-shifter Dr. Cyrus Henderson, and Brittany Allen, who played the terminal cancer patient Roxie Hamler, have all decided to self-submit for the Emmys, Gold Derby has learned exclusively.
We are still waiting for clarification on other Pitt guest stars who may have self-submitted for the 2026 Emmys, including Ayesha Harris as Dr. Parker Ellis and Mary McCormack as Dr. Linda Conley. Harris was recently promoted from guest star to series regular for the upcoming third season.
Only three guest stars from the massive ensemble are a part of HBO’s official 2026 campaign strategy: Tal Anderson as Becca King, the sister of Dr. Mel King (Taylor Dearden); Ernest Harden Jr. as Louie Cloverfield, a beloved regular at the Pitt; and Tina Ivlev as Ilana Miller, a sexual assault survivor. Deadline originally reported the Emmy slate, which Gold Derby has confirmed.
Studios have to make tough calls each year about which actors to submit, and HBO’s decision for The Pitt is presumably strategic. If the network put forth every eligible actor who played patients, doctors, family members, etc., then Emmy voters would be completely overwhelmed by the nominating ballot. It’s possible the network is curating its guest-star list to avoid potential vote-splitting.
Money may also be a factor: the Television Academy charges $225 for each individual achievement submission that appears on the ballot (a $125 processing fee plus a $100 entry fee), and those fees can really add up for shows with large casts. However, HBO is known to have deep pockets when it comes to awards campaigns, especially for a crown-jewel show like The Pitt, so it seems the omissions were more likely tactical.
For an actor to be compete as a guest start, they must appear in less than 50% of a show’s eligible episodes. Otherwise, they must compete in supporting or lead.
Last year, seven guest stars from The Pitt appeared on the Emmy ballot, though HBO only submitted three: Shawn Hatosy as Dr. Jack Abbot, Mackenzie Astin as Jereme Spencer, and Rebecca Tilney as Helen Spencer. The other four from Season 1 who self-submitted were Stacie Greenwell as Tina Chambers, Brandon Keener as John Bradley, Drew Powell as Doug Driscoll, and Arun Storrs as Minu.
Hatosy wound up being the only guest star nominee last year, and he won. For Season 2, even though Hatosy was eligible to campaign again as a guest star, he chose to enter the more prestigious supporting actor field instead.
Self-submissions sometimes do lead to Emmy nominations. In 2019, Gwendoline Christie entered her own name for the final season of Game of Thrones, and she wound up receiving a bid for Best Drama Supporting Actress. The year prior, The Handmaid’s Tale‘s Kelly Jenrette put herself forward and earned a 2018 nod for Best Drama Guest Actress.
The 2026 Emmys nominations in all categories will be announced July 8.
