After working steadily in Hollywood for two decades (including on Law & Order), Tina Ivlev is heading to the Emmys for the first time. And it’s all thanks to The Pitt.
The former figure skater is nominated in Best Drama Guest Actress for her performance as Ilana Miller, a sexual-assault survivor who comes to the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center on the Fourth of July, where she’s treated by Charge Nurse Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa). “To find out I was going to be working with [LaNasa] was a dream come true,” Ivlev tells Gold Derby.
While having LaNasa as a scene partner was a career highlight, Ivlev never got a chance to meet another fixture at the hospital: star Noah Wyle, who was busy filming his own scenes elsewhere on the Warner Bros. lot. In fact, Ivlev still hasn’t crossed paths with Wyle, all these months later.
“I’m a huge fan of his work,” Ivlev raves. “He changes take to take and he’s this amazing, organic actor who takes risks, and I really love that.” Perhaps she’ll meet him at the Emmy Awards? “That’d be cool!” she exclaims.
Ivlev’s performance resonated beyond the screen thanks to its raw emotional honesty. In the months since her two episodes aired, the actress has heard from “doctors, nurses, and survivors — so many people who felt seen and connected with the story in general … that’s the most validating thing.”
She’s “honored and excited” to be in the same Emmy category as Merritt Wever, “someone I’ve loved for so many years.” And if she’s lucky enough to win the golden statuette, the first person she’ll thank will be her husband. “He has been my collaborator, my creative partner, and everything,” Ivlev explains.
Read on for our full Q&A with the Emmy nominee.
Gold Derby: Congratulations on your Emmy nomination — your first one — for guest-starring on The Pitt. What was your reaction that morning when you found out the great news?
Tina Ivlev: That was crazy! My team woke me up early in the morning for a call and they were like, “You got nominated for an Emmy.” I was just in shock for a long time, and then overjoyed and feeling excited. It was a wonderful way to start my day.
Let’s talk about your category. We have Brittany Allen and Tal Anderson from The Pitt, Miriam Shor from Pluribus, Merritt Wever from The Gilded Age, and Shailene Woodley from Paradise. This is quite the lineup!
I’m such a huge fan. I can’t believe it. Merritt Wever is someone I’ve loved for so many years, so to be in the same category as her — and the rest of these amazing actors — is just incredible. I feel so honored and excited.
If you’re lucky enough to win the Emmy, who is the first person you’re going to thank in your acceptance speech?
Probably my husband. He has been my collaborator, my creative partner, and everything. He helped me with this audition. And then, obviously, everyone else on this amazing team.
What was the audition process like? I assume you had seen Season 1, so you kind of knew what the show was about?
I actually hadn’t seen the show. I auditioned for it, and after I booked it, I thought, “I gotta start binging this series.” And I loved it. I loved Katherine — her character is one of my favorites on the show — so to find out I was going to be working with her was a dream come true. It was incredible to be part of something that is so widely watched and that people connect with in such a great way.
Several of your scenes are with Katherine LaNasa, who won the Emmy last year for Best Drama Supporting Actress. What was it like meeting her and working with her?
It was amazing. She’s such a cool, down-to-earth person, so you can immediately relax with her. I felt like the scenes very organically flowed out because when you have a scene partner like Katherine LaNasa, it just makes everything easy. I felt overjoyed to be working with her. It was just this wonderful volley. We talked a little bit about how acting is a bit like a dance, because we both come from performance backgrounds. She used to be a dancer, and I used to be a figure skater, so we connected on that. It really did feel like a dance in the best possible way.
From figure-skating to acting — what was that transition like?
It informs it. I’ve always wanted to perform. I started skating when I was around 7 or 8, and I was a competitive figure skater. My sister and I were both figure skaters, and my family moved to Colorado Springs, where the training center is, so we were very focused on that. I always loved the performance aspect of it. Honestly, you are telling a story when you’re skating, so moving into acting felt like a natural transition.
This character and this Emmy nomination have put you in a bigger spotlight. How does that validation feel on a personal level?
It feels amazing. I’ve never been part of a show with this many eyeballs on it, so it’s been crazy. I’ve been in this industry for nearly two decades now, so I’ve been at this for a while. It feels really, really good to know that people are watching and to have my work out there in that kind of way. On another level, it’s amazing to be playing a character who resonates with people in such a profound way. To get messages from survivors saying they felt the same way the character did — that’s the most validating thing and it feels so meaningful.
Talk a bit about the audience reaction. When you play a character like Ilana, who is so vulnerable in the aftermath of a sexual assault, I imagine people at home felt that deeply.
Yes. I’ve had viewers reach out, along with doctors, nurses, and survivors — so many people who felt seen and connected with the story in general. I saw that there was a senator from Washington who had shared our scenes online to help advocate for more resources for rape survivors and trying to get more SANE [Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner] nurses. To know that it contributed in a real-world way was incredible. I’ve also heard from people who said they connected with the story and learned from it, which was really great. The fact that this story is out there and it’s showing the parts that we’re not privy to, what’s happening behind the curtain and what people feel when they are in that moment — that’s great that it’s out there.
Was there a specific note from the writers, directors, or a scene partner that unlocked the character for you in a new way?
We didn’t really have many conversations about it. What was lovely is that they really entrusted me with the character. I think whatever I did in the audition, they liked, so I went forward in that way. We didn’t really talk about it too much. That’s where the trust came from with the other actors. The writers already did such a beautiful job. What was on the page already was just so layered and complex and lovely. We just lived it organically and let it flow.
I’ve been on that set at Warner Bros., and it really feels like a hospital — it even smells like one. What was it like being there with all of The Pitt people around you?
I think that really informed it, really, truly. It feels like you’re in a hospital, and you almost forget until you step outside that it’s not real life. That was incredible. I also got the chance to tour the main set, because we were on a different soundstage, and it was one of the most incredible sets I had seen. Working with everybody there made it so easy.
Besides Katherine LaNasa, who were some other cast members you were super excited to meet?
I really wanted to meet Noah, but I didn’t have any scenes with him, and I didn’t end up meeting him. I did end up having a moment where, after my scenes were done for the day, I was able to go over to the main stage and watch with my headphones on behind the monitors. That was this amazing cherry on top of this experience, because I’m a huge fan of his work. He changes take to take and he’s this amazing, organic actor who takes risks, and I really love that.
Have you met him in the months since?
No, I have not. [Laughs.] I would love that.
We have to make sure that happens. Maybe you’ll see him at the Emmy Awards?
Maybe. That’d be cool!
This show received 25 Emmy nominations total. You’re one part of it, but why do you think it’s connecting with people and with Emmy voters?
When you see the work everybody does, it’s not a surprise. They are so meticulous and detail-oriented, and they put their whole heart and soul into what they’re doing. You can see that on set. There’s never a moment where something’s not addressed in the correct way. They’re making sure that everything is true to life and real. People relate to the reality of these people’s lives and the way the show highlights these stories. You immediately feel a connection, and it’s really due to how much detail and effort and focus they put into the show. That’s something that I personally resonated with when I watched the show. I was in awe of how every little detail is filled in and truthful.
What are you most looking forward to about the Emmys?
I’m excited to just meet people. I’d love to talk to the other actors in my category and have conversations. And wearing a pretty dress I think would be fun, too.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
