“Off Campus” star Mika Abdalla went from the high-stakes hospital halls of “The Pitt” to playing Allie Hayes on Prime Video’s steamy hockey romance series.
In “The Pitt” Season 1, Abdalla had a recurring role as Jenna Burke — an 18-year-old college student who overdoses and is brought to the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center by her roommate. She appears in Episodes 3, 4, 7, and 8, receiving treatment from the staff during her recovery. Things get a lot more interesting when John Bradley (Brandon Keener) — the father of Jenna’s classmate Nick — confronts Jenna about how she obtained drugs and if she was involved in his son’s overdose and brain death. She eventually reconciles with the family and is discharged in Episode 8.
Coincidentally, Jalen Thomas Brooks, who plays hockey player John Tucker on “Off Campus,” portrays nurse Mateo Diaz in “The Pitt” Seasons 1 and 2. He’s one of the first PTMC employees Jenna encounters as he and other medical professionals wheel her to a room.
Mika Abdalla talked about reuniting with Jalen Thomas Brooks
Mika Abdalla and Jalen Thomas Brooks’ reunion on “Off Campus” was exciting for both stars, who, according to Abdalla, didn’t bond much while shooting “The Pitt.” She recalled during an interview with Bustle, “I don’t think I talked to Jalen at all when we were filming ‘The Pitt.’ I was very much just in my trailer, like, trying to stay out of the way.” She added, “He told me that I would just stare a lot on the set of ‘The Pitt,’ which made me so insecure.”
The two actors first reconnected at chemistry reads for “Off Campus.” Abdalla remembered, “I walked in, and he was so sweet and came right up to me and was like, ‘Oh my god, hi, it’s so good to see you!'” Meanwhile, Brooks shared that “it was lovely to be reunited” with Abdalla.
Following her supporting role in Season 1, Abdalla is slated to appear much more in “Off Campus” Season 2, which will focus on Allie’s romance with hockey star Dean Di Laurentis (Stephen Kalyn). In the meantime, “Off Campus” fans can enjoy Abdalla’s and Brooks’ performances in HBO’s Emmy-winning medical drama.
